Tag: Ahmaud Arbery

Justin Coleman inspired to act by the murder of high school teammate Ahmaud Arbery

Lions CB Justin Coleman inspired to act by the murder of high school teammate Ahmaud Arbery

For Lions cornerback Justin Coleman, the protest movement against police brutality and racism have a deeply personal connection. Coleman was a high school teammate of Ahmaud Arbery, the African-American man killed by two white men while jogging in Georgia.

In a teleconference call with Detroit reporters on Wednesday, Coleman talked about his relationship with Arbery and how well he knew the murdered man and his family.

“Ahmaud actually was one of my younger brother’s best friends and just to watch him dealing with the situation brings pain to me and I’m just – obviously, everyone wanted justice for the situation because it was just a wrongdoing and I’m just not sure how we can … create a change.”

Coleman is both surprised and inspired by the reaction to the death of his friend. Arbery was one year behind Coleman at Brunswick High School.

“I was just thinking in my head like, dang, your purpose basically was to start this movement and try to change the world ’cause now your life does have a purpose,” Coleman said. “His name is being continuously talked about every single day now.”

Coleman and Lions safety Tracy Walker, another Brunswick-area native who has referred to Arbery as his cousin, are working to help spread the word amongst Lions players. It’s something that has had an impact, notably on center Frank Ragnow.

“We just want to open up eyes and help educate people on what’s going on,” Coleman said. “What’s really happening in this world, because we want it to be a better place.”

Marquese Chriss joins Juan Toscano-Anderson for second ‘Walking in Unity’ protest

Juan Toscano-Anderson was joined by Marquese Chriss at the second “Walking in Unity” peaceful protest in Oakland.

Following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, protest demonstrations have continued across the globe. On Wednesday, Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson led a peaceful protest march through Oakland.

Several of Toscano-Anderson’s Golden State teammates joined the rally, including Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

On Saturday, Toscano-Anderson hosted a second edition of the “Walking in Unity march from Frank H. Ogawa Plaza to the Lake Merritt Amphitheater. Another Golden State Warriors participated in the event. Marquese Chriss was spotted alongside Toscano-Anderson at the second Oakland protest.

Via @warriors on Twitter:

Bay Area rapper P-Lo also joined Toscano-Anderson and Chriss at “Walking in Unity” on Saturday.

Toscano-Anderson capped off the event by speaking to the crowd in attendance at Lake Merritt.

In the wake of Floyd’s death, many in the NBA community have spoken out against police brutality. Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon, Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Enes Kanter have joined protests across the country.

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Always vocal, Jamal Adams has found a new kind of voice fighting for justice

Jets safety Jamal Adams has always been vocal. Now he’s speaking up for civil rights.

Jamal Adams has never been shy about speaking his mind.

Those words, or similar syntax, have been used to describe the Jets safety so often that they’ve become cliche. In just three years in the NFL, the 24-year-old has positioned himself as the de facto voice in New York’s locker room, at least when it comes to public perception. Adams is a passionate speaker who’s not afraid to tell it like it is, even when that means criticizing his team’s performance or the very personnel he shares the field with. If he ruffles a few feathers, so be it. That’s not going to quiet him down.

That’s why it’s no surprise that Adams is now using his platform to speak out against social and racial injustice. The subject is at the forefront of the American psyche following the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others at the hands of police.

Adams, who is black, has pulled no punches the last few days when it comes to shining a spotlight on the struggles, fears and experiences that people of color endure in the United States. His Twitter feed has included everything from a statement that said “stop killing us” to condemnation of apologies made by Drew Brees and Jake Fromm after the quarterbacks made controversial remarks. Brees initially described the act of kneeling during the national anthem as disrespect toward the American flag — even though it’s been plainly stated by those involved that such protests are about social and racial injustice. Following a wave of backlash, the Saints gunslinger has apologized for his comments, changed his stance on the protests and directed a pointed letter at President Donald Trump, who tried to amplify Brees’ original remarks.

Meanwhile, leaked text messages revealed that Fromm suggested guns were “good” but suppressors should be “very expensive so only elite white people can get them.”

Adams has also played the role of media critic. He took aim at Fox News’ Laura Ingraham for her defense of Brees’ original comments, a hypocritical stance after the host previously told NBA star LeBron James to “shut up and dribble” rather than voice similar outrage. Adams also praised ESPN’s Maria Taylor for her scolding reaction to Brees’ words and subsequent apology.

On Friday, Adams took his activism away from the internet, joining a protest march in his hometown of Dallas. A video of the Jets star shows him raising a fist in the air while “Black Lives Matter” chants ring out around him.

Adams’ Twitter account has been littered with tweets — some his, some not — pertaining to the modern civil rights movement the country is currently witnessing, but perhaps no contribution has been more eye-catching than his participation in a video featuring several other NFL stars. The 70-second clip, which also includes Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Saints WR Michael Thomas and Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr., among others, shows Adams asking the NFL to “condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people.” As the players in the video take turns naming African Americans who have been killed as a result of police brutality, Adams states, “I am Breonna Taylor.” The video, which is clearly directed at the NFL, ends with the players saying “Black Lives Matter” in unison.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has since posted his own video in response. In it, he admitted that the league was wrong for not listening sooner, encouraged players to peacefully protest and echoed the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” The message was a sharp change in tune from a league that previously banned kneeling during the national anthem, though we’ll see what practical changes, if any, follow.

“When I was younger, I used to be scared to use my voice because I wanted to be liked by everyone,” Adams wrote in a quote tweet sharing the players’ video. “Life lessons & sports have changed my outlook on life. I will not hold back on the truth. I will fight & hold everybody accountable until it’s right. BLACK LIVES MATTER!”

The morning after the players’ video went viral, Adams suggested that his outspokenness has put him on the receiving end of some vulgar messages. There have also been repugnant replies to stories about Adams’ recent activism throughout social media, including ones directed at the account for this very website.

Such rhetoric should be unacceptable in response to a group of people simply asking for equal treatment in a country that is supposed to pride itself on such things, but rather they have become commonplace when an athlete like Adams speaks up.

No worries, though. A few ruffled feathers are not going to silence him.

“This is BIGGER than me, you, and any type of ball,” Adams wrote Friday. “I’m speaking out & doing what I’m doing for the voiceless. This is for my nieces and nephews, my future kids, and my future grand babies. I can’t let them face the stereotypes/racism that I’ve faced.”

Juan Toscano-Anderson takes part in ‘Walking in Unity’ peaceful protest in Oakland

Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson will take part in a peaceful protest walk in Oakland.

Following the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, protest demonstrations have taken place across the nation. In the wake of Floyd’s death while in the custody of Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, many in the basketball community have spoken out against police brutality and racism in America.

In response to the recent killings, The Golden State Warriors have released a statement, while Stephen Curry, Eric Paschall and Steve Kerr have been outspoken on their personal social media accounts.

The Warriors, Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and several other Golden State members participated in the “Blackout Tuesday” social media movement.

On Wednesday, Juan Toscano-Anderson will take part in a protest in Oakland. The Bay Area native will join the “Walking in Unity” protest at Oakland’s Lake Merrit Amphitheater. On social media, the Golden State forward encouraged all to join peacefully.

Via @juanonjuan10 on Twitter:

Several other NBA players, including Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle have participated in protests across the country.

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Nick Collison donates $20,000 to NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Former Thunder player Nick Collison donated $20,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in memory of George Flord, Ahmaud Arbery and others.

Longtime Oklahoma City Thunder big Nick Collison announced Friday that he donated $20,000 to the NCAAP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The fund provides litigation, advocacy and public education in effort to create racial justice.

The donation is in memory of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and “so many other people whose lives weren’t valued because of the color of their skin,” Collinson said in a tweet.

Floyd was killed by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes as three other officers stood by on May 25. Chauvin was arrested Friday.

Arbery was killed on Feb. 25 in Georgia by two men who thought he was a burglary suspect. The two men were arrested in May after video of the killing went viral.

Collison posted a five-tweet thread to Twitter as part of the announcement of his donation.

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Notre Dame: Niele Ivey Shares Powerful Thoughts on George Floyd

New women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey issued a strong statement on George Floyd and police brutality in the United States. Worth reading.

Since George Floyd’s tragic passing early last week we’ve seen the nation do things my generation (34 years old) has never seen before, at least not in this amount or for this amount of time.

Coaches have come out and said they want to have communications with their players and students.  As nice as that is there is plenty more to do and many more ways to help start these needed conversations on a grander scale.

That’s where new Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey comes in.  Although only being on the job for a short time, Ivey offered very strong thoughts on the situation and where we stand as a nation in a Twitter post Sunday morning:

“As I stepped into this role as head coach of Notre Dame, I would’ve never imagined it being in the middle of a pandemic and now in the midst of complete civil unrest. There is no playbook for me in these times. There aren’t enough words to fully express how I feel or words to heal the pain of a nation that is emotionally and physically on fire. The events of last week and the murder of George Floyd has been infuriating, painful, and senseless. Another target, another hashtag, and a continued system of oppression that has plagued our country for hundreds of years. Blatant racism, police brutality and murder targeting black and brown people. I am not ok. My heart is heavy. I am not only a coach and a leader but I am a mother. A mother of a young black man. It is a constant fear of mine to have a son that the world views as a threat. I wake up asking God to protect him. When he leaves the house, I am not fully at peace until he is back safe at home. This is no way to live, but this is our reality. I grieve for the mothers and families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Mike Brown, Sandra Bland and the list goes on and on. I weep thinking about how their children’s lives were taken away. We shouldn’t have to live in fear! Their lives mattered and I am tired. Tired of seeing so much injustice and tired of the same things happening over and over again. I pray that I can use my platform to evoke change. Stop killing innocent, unarmed black people. Stop judging people based on the color of their skin and treating them less than human. We need change and change can only happen if we continue to voice these atrocities, demand justice, call in, petition, and use our power to vote. We need to change the laws and unite together to stand up for what’s right. I am not okay and you shouldn’t be either.” – Niele Ivey

By now we’ve all the seen the video and if you’re at all like myself, each time you see even a still image from that moment you become a bit uneasy.  I appreciate that compared to so many other coaches and businesses statements that have been made, this one came packing a lot more of a punch.

What are the reasons for the protests?

So many of these coaches and business that have issued statements that don’t acknowledge the issue at hand that led to such protests.  Ivey attacks that straight on and doesn’t mince words.

It’s a scary time, a strange time but also a time that hopefully ends with a positive result.  The life of George Floyd unfortunately won’t come back, nor will far too many before him.

Hopefully though we use this opportunity as a nation to listen to our brothers and sisters that might not have grown up around us, don’t look like us or don’t share many of the same beliefs of us.  I hope we can ultimately come out of this awful time better as a nation.

With people like Niele Ivey setting an example like she chose to do Sunday morning, my hope for that only grows, but now it’s our duty to listen to what she and countless others have to say so we don’t find ourselves here again in short order.

You can follow Niele Ivey on Twitter @IrishCoachIvey.

Ben Simmons speaks out on deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery

Ben Simmons is using his voice to speak out on the recent deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons, like so many others, wants change.

Simmons spoke on Twitter on Friday night regarding the recent deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. Simmons voiced how people must become more comfortable with addressing the injustices and racism that affect black people around the country.

Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on Monday as the officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck. The police were called because of an alleged forgery at a store. 

Floyd dying at the hands of a police officer is only one unfortunate example of many black people being victimized by police violence.

On Friday, Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, per a report from Erin Donaghue and and Graham Kates of CBS.  Chauvin and the three other officers involved were fired Tuesday from the Minneapolis Police Department, per Joshua Rhett Miller of the New York Post. 

The killing has led to demonstrations around the country, including in Minneapolis, as well as Houston, Atlanta and Brooklyn among others.

Arbery, who lived in Georgia, was killed in February while he was jogging through a neighborhood called Satilla Shores.

He was chased after a man and his son who thought he had committed burglaries in the neighborhood. Gregory McMichael, the father, along with his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested and charged May 7 with murder and aggravated assault for the death of Arbery, per Brandon Baur and Mark Osborne of ABC News.

With Simmons speaking out, he is using his voice for causes that matter and need to be addressed. Simmons spoke out on racial profiling he experienced last August while at a casino in his home country of Australia.

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Lions’ Tracy Walker remembers his slain cousin Ahmaud Arbery

How does the Lions’ Tracy Walker remember his cousin, Ahmaud Arbery?

Detroit Lions safety Tracy Walker says Ahmaud Arbery “did not deserve this” when speaking about his cousin who was shot and killed while out for a run Feb. 23 in their hometown of Brunswick, Ga.

“He did not deserve that,” Walker told ESPN. ” And, you know, God has a plan for everybody, man, but, you know, it’s tough. It is. That’s why I watched it so many times. I couldn’t grasp it. It’s such a gruesome video, you want to know why.”

Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault more than two months after Arbery was killed. Federal prosecutors also are considering hate-crime charges that would allow for a separate case in federal court.

USA Today

“It’s amazing to have that much support, have that many people get behind one simple cause, and that’s justice…That’s all we could ask for,” Walker told E! News. 

It is impossible for the Lions’ DB to grasp the horror of what happened.

“It’s crazy that a man was out there jogging by himself and just getting exercise and he was shot down,” Walker said. “We can’t continue to kill ourselves and kill each other off. That’s not ok. We can’t continue with the violence.”

He added that his wish is for the country “learn from this” and find a way to “grow together,” so that people can feel “safer” in this world.

Walker said Arbery “was a person full of laughter and joy.” When Walker’s team would lose, he knew he could rely on Ahmaud to “brighten” his day. “He would be the guy that would just turn everybody’s frown upside down by saying a simple joke.”

Walker, 25, was a third-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette in 2018. He knew Arbery for his entire life. He wears Arbery’s high school No. 21 already, as a coincidence, and plans to write Arbery’s initials on his cleats when the NFL resumes. He also is planning to wear Arbery’s T-shirts underneath his jersey during games.

“He was a beautiful soul,” Walker said. “He wasn’t a hateful person. He was not. I can’t name one person he had a beef with growing up. Everybody loved Ahmaud because he was just a clown, a funny guy.”