All in this together
Black Players for Change movement has empowered Urso, Orlando City players
The most powerful moment of the first match of the MLS is Back tournament came before the first whistle.
Members of the Black Players for Change coalition lined the field, holding their fists aloft in solidarity. At midfield, Orlando City and Inter Miami took a knee. The silence weighed heavy at ESPN Wide World of Sports, centering the night around the movement that Black players hope to prioritize throughout the tournament.
The moment struck a chord throughout the Black players on the Orlando City roster. Midfielder Júnior Urso shook while holding back tears.
Despite the overwhelming emotion, striker Tesho Akindele said the statement gave him hope for the future players in the league.
“I felt so just together in that moment,” Akindele said. “Just to come all together as one and just show our unity, it was amazing. I can’t imagine if I was a kid watching that how I would have felt. It would be unreal. I’m glad that I was to be able to play a small part in that.”
The Black Players for Change formed in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.
Across the country, waves of protests reflected an overwhelming cry for change to combat systemic racism. The new coalition for Black players offered an opportunity to turn that momentum inwards to address issues in Major League Soccer.
Black Orlando City players said they felt empowered by the formation of the Black Players for Change, which offers a safe haven as they grapple with systemic racism.
“The main task is just to keep each other motivated,” defender Kamal Miller said.
for Black
“It’s very strenuous and tiring knowing that we’re fighting, tweeting, calling, doing all these things and then something comes up on the news and you’re like, ‘Another one.’ And we’re back to Step 1 again.”
Miller first began to speak out against racism after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who was tracked down and killed by three white men while he was jogging through a predominantly white neighborhood. Arbery’s death struck a chord with Miller.
The defender grew up in Toronto, where he felt racism was dimmed by the strong diversity of the city. When he moved to Syracuse for college, he began to notice the profiling and assumptions that followed him due to his skin color.
Miller considers himself lucky. He hasn’t lost a friend or a family member to police brutality. Still, the fear follows.
He says he feels safe in Orlando, but part of that safety comes from a constant vig