White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson knows the world is angry, and as he searches for a way to express his emotions about the death of George Floyd, he’s most comfortable doing so in measured tones and via art.
“I’m a person that kind of lives on both sides of things,” Anderson, the Sox’ only African American player, said Monday. “I know what it’s like, being in the position I’m in. So I try to stay right in the middle of it. There’s no anger from me.”
Anderson posted artsy, poignant photos on Instagram of himself wearing a Sox insignia on his chest in front of the words: “Our actions today will shape our tomorrow.” Another shows him standing alongside Floyd’s name spray-painted on a wall. The photos were taken Sunday as Anderson, who lives in the south suburbs, toured the destruction in the city in the aftermath of protests surrounding Floyd, an African American who was killed in police custody in Minneapolis. Murder and manslaughter charges have been brought against police officer Derek Chauvin.
Protests continue in city and suburban streets across the nation. Anderson said the photos are about documenting the graffiti left over from the protests of the weekend, not about any specific statement, and about the scenes, not him. One photo includes the acronym “ACAB” (all cops are bastards), but Anderson seemed to separate himself from that point of view.
“It wasn’t to bash anybody or talk about anybody; just because that’s what it says, that’s not how I feel,’’ he said.
“But it’s all love. It’s more creating and capturing dope moments of history that really sticks with me. We may never witness this again, so I wanted to capture these moments.”
Anderson did not participate in the protests. An active member with his wife in the community, Anderson said his message is for people to “stay positive.”
“We had a moment; we need to come together,” he said. “Every race, every color. It’s a tough topic to talk about. There are a lot of angry people, a lot of broken people who don’t understand a lot of things . . . a lot of angry people out there that are unheard, and that’s their reaction and why things are going the way they are.”
