‘The injustice that we are seeing our brothers and sisters face all over the world time and time again is disgusting, and MUST stop.’

Yesterday, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton spoke out against racism on Instagram.

The athlete also expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the massive protests raging in the US after George Floyd was mercilessly killed by a Minneapolis white police officer.

In his post, Hamilton urged his 16.4m followers to “stand up for what is right.”

‘Injustice must stop’

An emotionally charged Hamilton, who regularly speaks on animal welfare, posted: “This past week has been so dark. I have failed to keep hold of my emotions. I have felt so much anger, sadness and disbelief in what my eyes have seen.

“I am completely overcome with rage at the sight of such blatant disregard for the lives of our people.

“The injustice that we are seeing our brothers and sisters face all over the world time and time again is disgusting, and MUST stop.”

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This past week has been so dark. I have failed to keep hold of my emotions. I have felt so much anger, sadness and disbelief in what my eyes have seen. I am completely overcome with rage at the sight of such blatant disregard for the lives of our people. The injustice that we are seeing our brothers and sisters face all over the world time and time again is disgusting, and MUST stop. So many people seem surprised, but to us unfortunately, it is not surprising. Those of us who are black, brown or in between, see it everyday and should not have to feel as though we were born guilty, don’t belong, or fear for our lives based on the colour of our skin. Will Smith said it best, racism is not getting worse, it’s being filmed. Only now that the world is so well equipped with cameras has this issue been able to come to light in such a big way. It is only when there are riots and screams for justice that the powers that be cave in and do something, but by then it is far too late and not enough has been done. It took hundreds of thousands of peoples complaints and buildings to burn before officials reacted and decided to arrest Derek Chauvin for murder, and that is sad. Unfortunately, America is not the only place where racism lives and we continue to fail as humans when we cannot stand up for what is right. Please do not sit in silence, no matter the colour of your skin. Black Lives Matter. #blackouttuesday ✊?

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Jun 2, 2020 at 9:45am PDT

The pro racer even condemned his F1 community for remaining silent on the subject highlighting the racist abuse colored athletes face in a white dominated sport.

He wrote in a separate post: “I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice.

“Not a sign from anyone in my industry which of course is a white dominated sport.

“I’m one of the only people of colour yet there I stand alone. I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can’t stand alongside us. Just know I know who you are and I see you.”

 ‘We see it every day’

Continuing to speak on the discrimination the non-white community faces, Hamilton added: “So many people seem surprised, but to us, unfortunately, it is not surprising

“Those of us who are black, brown, or in between, see it every day.”

The black community has reeled under the racist regime of white supremacy for centuries and blacks have been repeatedly ostracized and deprived of basic human rights as citizens.

Hamilton wrote: “(We’re made) to feel as though we were born guilty, don’t belong, or fear for our lives based on the colour of our skin.

“Will Smith said it best, racism is not getting worse, it’s being filmed. Only now that the world is so well equipped with cameras has this issue been able to come to light in such a big way.”

The screams for justice rife in all 50 US states are not only for Floyd but also for the other recent deaths of Black Americans.

 In this year alone, Ahmaud Arbery was shot in February by two white men and filmed by another as he was jogging, and Breonna Taylor, an emergency room technician was shot eight times in March when police raided her apartment in search of some elusive drugs.

“It is only when there are riots and screams for justice that the powers that be cave in and do something, but by then it is far too late and not enough has been done,” wrote Hamilton.

‘We stand with you’

 Hamilton’s post has led to an outpouring of support from several including fellow Formula One drivers and other sportspersons.

On Instagram, US tennis diva Serena Williams posted a video of a young African American girl recounting how she feels about being treated differently to others due to her skin color.

 “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,” William captioned the video.

She added: “The worst part is this is nothing new, ‘it’s just filmed.’ I’m with a heavy heart. I’m lost for words.”

Hamilton’s team Mercedes-AMG F1 also released a statement in solidarity to the movement

“We stand with you Lewis. Tolerance is an elementary principle of our team,” Mercedes tweeted.

pic.twitter.com/YNwTrYutSM

— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) June 1, 2020

• Read: Lewis Hamilton wants fans to help China end dog meat trade

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