John Davidson “proud” of K’Andre Miller and NHL’s fight for racial justice
The New York Rangers hosted a one on one with President John Davidson for season subscribers this week. Many topics were touched upon but JD led it off with a topic that transcends the game of hockey, racial inequality. Davidson cited former Ranger Anson Carter and future Blueshirt K’Andre Miller as examples for seeking positive changes.
Anson Carter and K’Andre Miller On Racism
“To see them both open up and go public with what they’re thinking and their feelings, I am so proud of them,” Davidson expressed. “I know we can be better, I know I can be better.” When it came to Anson Carter, JD reached out to him personally about how wonderful the video Carter put together was for the game. If you haven’t seen it, I included it below.
John Davidson Supports K’Andre Miller
K’Andre Miller recently broke his silence about the terrible Zoom incident that saw a repeated racial slur blasted on the chat. “I’ve struggled for months to find the words to express my frustration and anger over the Zoom conference call,” Miller divulged. The young defenseman’s statement was emotionally powerful and JD revealed that the incident made him ” almost physically ill”.
“I struggle because I’ve never been fully accepted by either the black community or the white community,” K’Andre continued. The statement noted that growing up playing hockey he was targeted because of his race but he refused to give up on the game he loves.
The league is very committed to the cause as well. Davidson revealed that on a recent Board of Governors call, Commissioner Gary Bettman was adamant about leading the charge. JD also said that the Rangers and MSG need to do a better job of listening and supporting K’Andre in making the world a better place. “It will be a mandate of the organization to get rid of racism,” he emphasized.
K’Andre Miller is a Ranger
During the video conference John Davidson was visibly moved when he cited Miller’s third paragraph about being drafted by the Rangers.
”You can only imagine how it felt to have an organization like the New York Rangers draft me, the hockey player. For that moment in time I didn’t have to be defined by the color of my skin but rather my hockey skills, athletic ability and character. This is how it should be all the time.”
K’Andre Miller
Moving forward, the Rangers have taken new precautions to prevent another incident like what K’Andre experienced. The Rangers’ President even mentioned all the support Miller received from players and employees alike.
Davidson finished talking about K’Andre on a very high and positive note. “We’re going to get him into camp whenever that happens. He’s one of us and hopefully he’s a great Ranger for a long time.”
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