Blackout Tuesday: American Football Star Reveals Grandad Feared For His Life

 

Amid Blackout Tuesday in the music industry, versatile American soccer player, DeAndre Yedlin, has revealed that his grandfather messaged him after the unfortunate police killing of George Floyd last week to express his satisfaction that he was not living in the US at the moment.

AllNews reports that as protests over the death of Floyd and others continue in cities across the USA on Tuesday, musicians and entertainment executives are encouraging workers to take Tuesday as a chance to reflect on racism in the country, in some cases even if that means taking off work.

Washington-born Yedlin, 26, like many black footballers, is sad at the police brutality.

Taking to his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday, the Newcastle United man shared his grandfather's American worry.

   

A couple days after George Floyd’s death, my grandfather texted me and told me he’s glad that I am not living in the U.S. right now because he would fear for my life as a young black man. As days have passed, this text from my grandfather has not been able to leave my mind.

— DeAndre Yedlin (@yedlinny) June 2, 2020

 

 

He was born in 1946, lived through the civil rights movement, lived through some terribly racist times in U.S. history, and now 70 years later he STILL fears for the life of his black grandchild, in the country he and his grandchild were born in,

— DeAndre Yedlin (@yedlinny) June 2, 2020

in the country his grandchild represents when he plays for the United States, in the country his grandchild represents when he’s playing in England. I remember being in elementary school, and having to recite the Pledge of Allegiance which ends

— DeAndre Yedlin (@yedlinny) June 2, 2020

“.. with liberty and justice for all.” Every American needs to ask themselves, is there “liberty and justice for all” and if their answer is yes, then they are part of the problem. In no way are we asking black lives to matter more than white lives,

— DeAndre Yedlin (@yedlinny) June 2, 2020

all we’re asking is we are seen as equal, as more than 3/5 of a man, as humans. My heart goes out in solidarity to George Floyd, his family, and all of the countless number of victims that have had their lives taken at the hands of meaningless police brutality.

— DeAndre Yedlin (@yedlinny) June 2, 2020

 

  

 

On May 25, 2020, Floyd, an African-American man, was killed in the Powderhorn community of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

READ ALSO: George Floyd's Funeral Slated For June 9

While Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on a city street during an arrest, Derek Chauvin, a white American Minneapolis police officer, kept his knee on the right side of Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds; according to the criminal complaint against Chauvin, 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that time occurred after Floyd became unresponsive.