Memphis Grizzlies star rookie Ja Morant played his college ball at Murray State in Kentucky. Despite starring for the small school, he was the No. 2 pick in last year’s NBA draft. Murray is now using his newfound stardom to help create change.
Ja Morant asks judge in Murray, Kentucky, to remove Confederate statue
In a letter to a judge dated June 11, Morant asks that the town remove a Confederate statue that’s seen as racist to the young guard.
“Given the recent events and the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s necessary to act now. We can’t change the culture of racism unless we change the celebration of racism. Please help us take a stand and remove this symbol of hatred and oppression,” Morant wrote.
The college Morant played for over two seasons is located in Murray, a town with a population of nearly 18,000. The most-recent census shows that the southern town’s population includes 83% Caucasian.
Confederate leaders and symbols being removed around the United States
We’ve seen it on a never-ending loop around the United States since the murder of George Floyd nearly three weeks ago. Those who committed treason by seceding from the union and initiating war against the United States had in the past been glorified with monuments and statues in the south. That’s come to a crashing halt. Morant is simply asking that Murray do the same.
In the sports world, this has been somewhat of a contentious issue. It was just earlier this week that NASCAR decided to ban Confederate flags at its events moving forward. It led to one professional driver announcing he’d stop racing after this season in protest.
In a way, the Confederate flag is seen as a symbol of this nation’s history. In another way, it’s seen as racism and supports an ideology of racism that brought this nation its most deadly war. Those who led the Confederacy supported racism and, by definition, committed treason against this country.