Bubba Wallace lost his cousin in a police shooting
Bubba Wallace is the lone African American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. In recent weeks, he’s been vocal in pointing out the racial problems in America.
All across the country, people are protesting in the streets of major cities, sparked by the death of George Floyd. The African American was killed as three Minneapolis Police Department officers stood on him for 9 minutes, one with their knee on his neck.
Protests soon surfaced from coast to coast. The Minneapolis Police Department was burned to the ground, almost instantly. Cops cars across the country have been torched.
There was four cops at the scene. As of yesterday, all four of the officers have been arrested and protests toned down on Wednesday night as a result.
But, the core problem of police brutality still exists.
As an African American man, Bubba Wallace has stories to share of encounters with police. If you’re white, those stories might be different that yours…
Bubba Wallace recalls a time he was pulled over
“My instance of being told to get out of my car and being searched,” Bubba Wallace recalled on the Dale Jr Download.
“It’s funny, on that instance, I just got my car cleaned. I had a race winning check, just cashed. And I had all that money in my car.”
Bubba Wallace hasn’t won in the NASCAR Cup Series with 85 starts. But, he has six wins in the NASCAR Truck Series, most recently in 2017.
“But, we had cleaned it (the car) and taken it out. So, imagine if the money was in there.”
“Guns were pulled. Not aimed at me but they’re out of their holster and ready to do something.”
Cops setting traps
“Being pulled out in front of, then turn on the hazzards — It’s a sign that you’re slow and that I need to go around you. But, when it’s undercover cops, you can’t do that.”
“When it’s tinted windows (on my car), they don’t know what to expect, so they’re ready for anything. One wrong move, I wouldn’t be here talking to you today.”
“Then comments after — This is where we could help so many people. It’s the comments, that they made towards me that pissed me off the most. ‘Can you afford this car? It’s a nice car.’ I said, ‘Yes sir, I can.’ “
“What I wanted to say is, ‘Yeah, I’ll have you one here Monday. I’ll have your momma here one on Tuesday and the rest of your family on Tuesday because that’s how much money I make.’ “
“But, I didn’t. I let it go because one wrong move cause I’m black, could of had me on the payment saying, ‘I can’t breathe.’ “
Wallace lost his cousin in a police shooting
A year before he started racing, Bubba Wallace encountered tragedy in his family as the hands of a police officer.
“Another instance, I was 8 years old at this point, we were at my sister’s basketball tournament. I was running around the gym with all my brothers and sisters.”
“All the sudden, I hear a scream. Like, the worst scream you’d wanna hear. Not like somebody scared you scream. Like something bad had happened.”
“I look over and I see my mom running out the door. We had just found out that my cousin Sean [Gillispie] was shot and killed by a police officer.”
“I was young. I didn’t understand it. But now, seeing everything come full circle, I totally get it now.”
“They left a football game or something, he was 19. And they all went to a gas station near Knoxville, Tennessee. Playing loud music, it was a crowd, a hang out spot.”
“But, the store clerk, who happened to be white, felt threatened that there was more African Americans and that something bad was going to happen. She called the cops.”
“The police officer ordered my cousin to put his hands up, he did. That officer walked away. He went to grab his phone to call his mom because he was scared and was shot and killed by the other police officer.”
“Not bothering people. But, somehow, people are afraid. Why are you afraid of black people? We’re minding our own business, having a good time and somebody’s life was taken.”
“I’ve never shared that story,” Wallace concluded.
What it’s like to be black in NASCAR
Links
Bubba Wallace | Dale Jr | NASCAR
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