EDMONTON -- Former Edmonton Eskimo Warren Moon is one of many famous athletes speaking out about social injustice and condemning racism.
His story is well documented. Despite a successful college career, Moon wasn’t drafted by the National Football League, so he came to the Canadian Football League to become a starting quarterback.
He won five Grey Cups before getting a shot down south. He eventually became the first African American passer to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“African American quarterbacks are thriving right now in NFL, so that doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem,” Moon said.
But Moon said the arrest and death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the ongoing protests, are fresh reminders that social injustice and racism are still rife in 2020.
“It took something this graphic, something this visual for people to really see that there are a lot of problems in our justice system, in our policing system on how we deal with people of colour and African Americans in the United States.”
Moon says he’s witnessed and experienced racism at times during his life and that Floyd’s death is another sad incident in a long list, but Moon adds, the current public outcry stands out from the others.
“Every time there’s a death like this, there’s an outrage. People talk about what they want to do to make things change and then all of a sudden it goes away. This one I think is a little bit different than what I’ve seen in the past. I think there are going be some legitimate changes made in the way we do things.”
Now, the man who had to come to Edmonton first to make it as a pro quarterback in the U.S. has a call to action for his fellow citizens.... vote.
“I think all these young people who are out here protesting use that right, use that strength, I think they can make some of the changes that they want to want to get made.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Adam Cook
