As the sports world came together to pay their respects to George Floyd after his death in Minnesota a year ago, many organizations are also speaking out on the anniversary of his killing on Tuesday.
Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests, with many prominent athletes and teams participating in advocacy and demonstrations.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association released a statement on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act – a bill that would do things like set up a national registry of police misconduct, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants and make it easier to prosecute officers for wrongdoing, among other things.
The WNBPA said in a statement it remains hopeful and that the measure is an “important first step for comprehensive policing reform.”
“Excessive force used against communities of color is past crisis-level. Excessive force used against communities of color demands action by Congress,” the statement said.
The National Basketball Players Association tweeted, “How many more need to be killed before Congress takes action?” It urged people to call their senators and tell them to support the bill.
The NBA said a year ago Floyd’s death inspired a social justice movement and called on people to rally against systemic racism, it said in a tweet.
“Today and every day, members of the NBA family stand united in working for change and a future that provides true equality,” the NBA said.
Several high-profile NBA athletes were vocal about the killing of Floyd.
Professional teams in Minnesota – including the Vikings, the Timberwolves, the Lynx, the Wild and Minnesota United – all tweeted messages in Floyd’s memory. Several of them were photos of memorials or murals around the city.
The Players Alliance, the Major League Baseball players group, tweeted a statement pledging to create a more “inclusive, equitable future – both in our game and in our world.”
The NFL said it has been a year filled with “reflection and reckoning, one that has renewed our commitment to build and strengthen our communities.”
It also tweeted a video which featured players talking about how Floyd’s murder affected them.
You can watch that here:
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency/news feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor.
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