Duke Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski is one of the most prominent figures in the history of college sports. Now the iconic men’s basketball coach is using his platform to support the Black Lives Matter movement in a powerful video.
Mike Krzyzewski supports Black Lives Matter movement
In a video released on the team’s Twitter account Friday night, Coach K looked right into the camera and immediately addressed one of the largest audiences in college sports. It all started with a simple statement, Black Lives Matter.
Krzyzewski went much further with his message than NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and many others who have spoken out. Coach K directly called out the United States for choosing the “easier wrong” for 400 years and denying the impact racism has on the Black community to this day.
In the video, Coach K said using the words “Black Lives Matter” is a statement in support of human rights, rather than a political message.
“Black Lives Matter. Say it. Can you say it? Black Lives Matter,” Krzyzewski said. “We should be saying it every day. It’s not political. This is not a political statement. It’s a human rights statement. It’s a fairness statement.”
The video marks another moment in sports where the tide seems to be shifting considerably from years past. While many would stay quiet before about issues of systemic inequality or racism in the United States, now more people than ever are speaking out.