CELTICS swingman Jaylen Brown drove from Boston to his home state of Georgia to help lead a protest march following the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minnesota.
Brown’s drive took 15 hours, and was joined in the peaceful protest by Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, also from Georgia.
Floyd died on Monday after pleading that he could not breathe as a police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck. Reports say officers responded to a call from a grocery store claiming Floyd used a forged check.
“Being a celebrity, being an NBA player don’t exclude me from no conversation at all,” said Brown in an Instagram video.
“First and foremost, I’m a Black man and I’m a member of this community, and I grew up on this soil. I want to say that first and foremost.”
“Our voices need to be heard … I’m 23 years old. I don’t know all the answers. But I feel how everybody else is feeling. For sure. No question.”
Brogdon called for a peaceful protest as he denounced racism and discrimination.
“I got brothers, I got sisters, I got friends that are in the streets that are out here that haven’t made it to this level that are experiencing it, that are getting pulled over, just discrimination day after day,” Brogdon said.
“This is systematic. We don’t have to burn down our homes. We built this city. This is the mostly proudly black city in the world.”
Brown was hugely disappointed after learning three persons were arrested in relation to the march.
Lewis Hamilton, LeBon James and Colin Kaepernick were among those who earlier took to social media to express outrage over Floyd’s death.
“The world we live in. Who will be held accountable? Not these two Police officers I’m sure,” posted Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.
"This ... ... Is Why." LeBron James wrote in an Instagram post: "Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you?? #StayWoke."
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