Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

SERENA WILLIAMS FEELS NUMB OVER TREATMENT OF BLACK PEOPLE IN US

-

Serena Williams took to Instagram to express her numbness after the recent happening of racism in the United States, where an unarmed black man George Floyd was killed by a police officer.

Minneapoli­s police officer Derek Chauvin was charged on Friday with murder in the death of 46-year-old Floyd after footage of the white officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck prompted a wave of protests.

Various top athletes have voiced their outrage over the act of racism and #Blacklives­matter has been trending worldwide.

Yesterday, Serena shared a video of a child, where she was expressing her grief over the treatment of black people, and said the child had found words to the tennis star’s emotions.

“I can’t and still can’t find the words to say or express how sad I feel .... but she found them for me. She found them for so many of us. A lot of us are numb... lost for words... I know I am. This is a difficult time,” Serena wrote on Instagram.

She further said she prays for everyone who has to go through such discrimina­tion and added that the “worst part” was the feeling was not new.

“A lot of us growing up were taught to pray “Let thy kingdom come,” this is what I continue to pray for in addition to so many that have been hurt/killed, or simply traumatize­d by how people of a different color are treated. The worst part is this is nothing new, “it’s just filmed.” I’m with a heavy heart. I’m lost for words,” she added.

Apart from Serena, tennis star Naomi Osaka and teenage sensation Coco Gauff have sent powerful messages against the prevalent racism and expressed their condemnati­on of Floyd’s death.

While Osaka took a jab at all those who copy black hip hop artists but were silent at Floyd’s killing, Gauff posted her own chilling condemnati­on of Floyd’s death on social media.

 ??  ??
 ?? Serena Williams ??
Serena Williams

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Sri Lanka