I was down at a tournament with my high school team, and I saw a DM on Instagram and Twitter [about Nation United]. When I joined that team, I just felt instantly part of something bigger. Everybody on the same team was striving for the same purpose. I felt instantly connected with those guys. Our bond on and off the field instantly clicked.
In the Chicagoland area, all the high schools I’ve played at, I’ve noticed three other black kids, including Dami [Oladunmoye] who plays at Grayslake. There’s Najee [Taylor], who’s at Loyola. And Rondel Jamison, who went to Carmel Catholic. Those are the only kids I can pull off the top of my head. My high school team [at St. Viator], I’m the only black kid on the team. There’s always that feeling in the back of my head where I’m just kind of separated. There’s a boundary between me and everyone else on the team, culture and friendship-wise.
It’s been around every sport. It’s not just lacrosse. Being a black kid with the last name Black, somebody is going to make a joke. And I feel like they’re lighthearted jokes, but there’s always a thought in my head: Are they really jokes?