Many White Sox fans have found the organization’s response to the recent events and protests happening across the nation to be disappointing and frustrating. While players such as Tim Anderson and Lucas Giolito took to their personal platforms to speak out, the team has stayed relatively quiet on the matter.
That changed on Monday afternoon when an interview with executive vice president of baseball operations Ken Williams, in coordination with SoxTV, was released on the team’s YouTube channel. Williams, who’s been a staple of the White Sox front office since taking over as general manager in 2000, has become one of the most prominent minority executives in the league. The journey hasn’t been an easy one, though.
In a candid and powerful conversation that lasted just over a half hour, Williams spoke about his personal experiences with racism and how it has impacted every aspect of his life, both on the field and off. From his childhood to now, the unfortunate effects of prejudice have persistently plagued the 56-year-old and his family
“It’s exhausting,” Williams said when he was once asked by an older African-American what it was like for him to be black. “At times, it has been more exhausting than others, because at times, you want to give up and you don’t see hope. You don’t see a vision for a better future.”
A disturbing memory was recalled by Williams later in the interview when he reflected back on being hired as the team’s general manager in 2000. Upon returning home following the big announcement, a racial slur had been spray painted on the side of his house, forcing him to have a very serious talk with his sons.
“I had to have a conversation about what it meant, what it meant for them to borrow,” the executive vice president said. “And I had to take a little bit of their innocence away. Because you got to protect – you got to protect your kids. You got to take a little bit of their innocence away to make sure they’re doing and saying the right things out there so they’re not the next in what’s been a long line of victims.”
Towards the end of the video, Williams shared that he felt impressed by the unity he’s seen of people from all backgrounds recently. He also called on everyone to do their part and step up to help end the injustices that still exist in our nation.
You can watch the emotional and courageous interview in its entirety below, courtesy of the Chicago White Sox on YouTube.
Featured Photo: Chicago White Sox/YouTube
