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All week long, peaceful protests have taken place across the country. In the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black Americans, people have been taking a stand to call out systematic racism and police brutality.
One such protest happened on Wednesday in Oakland, and was organized by Golden State Warriors wing Juan Toscano-Anderson. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, and Damion Lee all participated.
That made me proud to be a Warriors fan.
But while protesting is a powerful way to take a stand and make your voice heard, it’s not the only form of activism. Donations, amplifications, and spreading words on social media are also ways to make an impact (among many other things).
Check out some of the social media posts from Warriors players:
— Eric Paschall (@epaschall) June 2, 2020
People forget we are black before anything else! https://t.co/bDgREuW9mP
— Eric Paschall (@epaschall) June 1, 2020
WHEN WE SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER. THIS ISNT A “TREND” OR A “FAD”. WE FACE THESE STRUGGLES EVERY SINGLE DAY. #EmotionallyScarred
— Damion Lee (@Dami0nLee) June 2, 2020
S/o Klay, 30, DLee, Loon! The whole @warriors organization! We didn’t ask for that support but they extended it on their own behalf, and THAT speaks volumes. Y’all gave us a much bigger platform to share our message! THANK YOU
— Juan Toscano Anderson (@juanonjuan10) June 4, 2020
Today was amazing. HUGE THANK YOU, to everybody that showed up and showed out! If they don’t remember me for basketball in Oakland, I hope they remember me for being a stand up man!
— Juan Toscano Anderson (@juanonjuan10) June 4, 2020
Why kill people that have done nothing deserving of so??? I never said the rioting was right or cool. But I am careful in what I choose to put out on the internet. And right now, justice for my people and the safety of others is the most important thing, not a car
— Juan Toscano Anderson (@juanonjuan10) June 1, 2020
In everything in life, there’s a cause and effect. Fix the cause, you remove the effect. By no means am I promoting rioting or destroying shit. Hell I’d be mad if somebody destroyed my stuff. But my people are just trying to be heard. Understand THAT
— Juan Toscano Anderson (@juanonjuan10) June 1, 2020
In addition to the powerful words and photos above, a lot of the Warriors players posted black squares to their Instagram as part of Blackout Tuesday, and many retweeted powerful messages from other people.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also made his voice heard.
learned to work together to promote a better future, even when such a possibility seems bleak. By actively acknowledging & protesting the racism that has long defined our nation's history, the younger generation is providing the hope that we all need. Listen to them.
— Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) June 2, 2020
How many of you learned of this brutal massacre in your HS history classes? Me neither. Part of overcoming racism is acknowledging its existence. Black Wall Street: The African American Haven That Burned and Then Rose From the Ashes https://t.co/WM7HlKPE7h via @ringer
— Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) June 3, 2020
Warriors co-chairmen Joe Lacob and Peter Guber also issued a statement on Thursday, and it’s a fair bit stronger than many of the team statements that have been sent out throughout the league.
Statement from Joe Lacob & Peter Guber: pic.twitter.com/Hov7Lgojzr
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) June 4, 2020
The Warriors as an organization also issued a statement.
Statement from the Golden State Warriors pic.twitter.com/Ath72t6mjT
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 30, 2020
This has been a difficult, heartbreaking, and certainly historic week. I applaud all of the Warriors players who made their voices heard, and encourage all of you to share your voice, amplify the voices of black people in your community, share resources for how to enact change, and, if you’re able to, donate money to important causes.