MIDWOOD MEDIA HOUSE

Hugh Roberts, a professional athlete with the Charlotte Independence soccer club, narrates a 67-second video explaining the fears black men face at the prospect of racial violence. The video is a response to the February killing of jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia by a pair of white men.

The question is simple: “What is fear?”

A clock ticks in the background, and three words form a question as Hugh Roberts narrates a 67-second video explaining the gravity of being a black man in America. Roberts’ work was inspired by Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23 while running. People all over the country participated in a 2.23-mile run on May 8 for what would have been Arbery’s 26th birthday. Arbery’s high school football coach Jason Vaughn asked supporters to use the hashtag #IRunWithMaud on social media while they ran, walked or jogged. The memorial run has come and gone, but people like Roberts are stepping up to ensure his legacy lives on.

“Our lives are always at risk for simply being black,” Roberts said in the Instagram TV post accompanying the video. “Is this equality? Could we live a normal life?”

Roberts is a professional soccer player for the Charlotte Independence, but also an advocate for proving that people of color can do anything they set their minds to. His podcast Backyard Footy addresses disparities in American soccer, while also highlighting his fellow players, coaches as well as media members.

Staying fit through activities like running is a job requirement. Arbery’s death left Roberts wondering what if he had gone for a run in a neighborhood and gunned down because someone thought he looked like someone he wasn’t. Only to die for running while black.

“As a professional athlete, going on a jog is something I do every day,” Roberts said. “Ahmaud Arbery’s death hit home because it could have been me. It’s frustrating to think I’d have to check over my shoulders constantly on a jog. It’s a life no one would want to live.”

Roberts does more than illustrate the narrative of what life is like for many black men. He calls viewers to action, demanding they see how “social injustice is bigger than a sport.”

“If you’re not going to stand for social injustice, then you’re part of the problem,” Roberts said. “This is not just a one race issue, this is a humanity problem.”

The video, created by Midwood Media House, features Roberts in a T-shirt, shorts and athletic shoes similar to what Arbery wore on his runs. It ends with Roberts’ first raised high, with Uptown in the background as he says, “Ahmaud Arbery, rest in peace. We will always carry your legacy.” The final frame is a black background, with #IRunWithMaud in white font, and the sound of a ticking clock.

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