New York Rangers’ K’Andre Miller Addresses Racist Comments From Fans

While being introduced for the first time in front of fans in April, New York Rangers rookie K’Andre Miller heard some racist comments. Miller commented on his reception on Monday via Twitter.

In his tweet, Miller said that he has struggled all his life with being accepted. “I struggle because I’ve never been fully accepted by either the black community or the white community,” Miller said. “I struggle because for years I have been one of the only people of color on my hockey teams. I have been targeted because of my race when I was in youth hockey by some coaches, parents and players, but I refused to give up because of my love for the game.”

The 20-year-old Miller, during a video introduction with fans, saw various comments featuring the n-word directed toward him. Miller waited to comment on this incident because of the coronavirus pandemic, but in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Miller saw an opportunity, expressing his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Miller concluded his Twitter post talking about being drafted by the Rangers and how now is the time to see black people for who they are and not for the color of their skin. “You can only imagine how it felt to have an organization like the New York Rangers draft me, the hockey player,” he said. “For that one moment in time I didn’t have to be defined by the color of my skin but rather on my hockey skills, athletic ability and character. This is how it should be all the time. It’s time for action, time for change and once and for all, it’s time to let black people be judged based on who we are not what we look like.”

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