Mark Snyder

Detroit Free Press

Michigan quarterback John O'Korn made a public plea today for racial harmony.

Talking about his U-M teammate Maurice Ways, who is African-American, O'Korn posted a photo of the two of them on Instagram, plus an extended commentary.

He pointed out Ways is his "brother. He's my roommate. He's my best friend.... That's why it kills me to see what's going on in our country right now. I DONT GET IT."

O'Korn has seen many parts of the United States, growing up in central Pennsylvania then moving to south Florida midway through high school, then playing his first two years at Houston before transferring to U-M. He wrote his parents taught him to "be colorblind."

O'Korn wrote he and Ways have regular conversations about racial dynamics "that open eyes and shatter perceptions."

"We need HEART change... In the officers whose intentions aren't pure.. In a man in a helicopter who classifies another as "bad" simply by the color of his skin... So many of our country's issues are rooted in our own ignorance & pride. We have this misconception that we actually understand what other people go through. But WE HAVE NO IDEA."

Ways is a reserve receiver from Beverly Hills, Mich., who attended Birmingham Detroit Country Day. Very few Michigan football players have offered public commentary. The most notable is senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who has used his Twitter profile to highlight social issues, especially the racial imbalance in the United States.

Lewis and U-M coach Jim Harbaugh have both shared their thoughts on Kaepernick's protest.

The shift of athletes speaking out on the topic of race has shifted into the spotlight in the past few weeks as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick declined to stand for the national anthem, hoping to spark discussion of the way African-Americans and minorities are treated, especially in light of public issues with police brutality.

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Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!