“It’s finally happened, now I can’t take it anymore”- Lewis Hamilton on what made him step into the Black Lives Matter movement.
Lewis Hamilton has actively been an advocate of diversifying Formula 1, as for long it has been exclusive to white people. At times, it is astonishing to know that he is the first and only black F1 driver in the sport’s history.
He has also been vocal about the hate crimes against people of colour and talked about racism in his life sphere. The Briton recently revealed what made him accelerate his stance on the issue and be a part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“When I saw what happened to George (Floyd), it brought out all the emotions and experiences from my childhood,” Hamilton says in an interview with Wired. “I thought, ‘It’s finally happened. Now I can’t take it anymore.”
Last year, Hamilton facilitated BLM’s involvement in F1, as he led the taking the knee before every race in 2020 and established his own commission to diversify the motorsport.
I wanted to win for Breonna.
At the same time, he was investigated by FIA for wearing an ‘arrest the cops’ t-shirt who killed Breonna Taylor, a black medical worker, who was shot at her apartment by the US Police.
Hamilton, in the interview, talked about the incident, and he stood on the podium while wearing that t-shirt. The Briton claims normally he thinks about the competition, but he wanted to win for her on that day.
“Normally, my focus is on winning and perfection, but this race I wanted to win for Breonna. I thought, ‘I have to be on the podium so that I can wear this shirt'”.
“That was my drive, and it stayed that way throughout the rest of the season. It became a new motivation – I was racing for something and someone else.”
“I want to be someone who brings about change, a catalyst for change. I hope in ten years I can say I’ve really had a positive impact,” said the world champion.
