Kentucky staffer applauds ‘amazing’ video about racism posted by Wildcats players
Newly hired staffer Jai Lucas applauded the video Kentucky basketball players posted on Twitter on Monday night in support of addressing systemic racism and police brutality inflicted on Black people.
“I think the video was amazing . . . ,” Lucas said on a Zoom teleconference Wednesday. “I think just for them to have that message and do it together is a big statement.
“And the biggest thing with everything going on in society and in the country is people need to come together and just have communication, have conversations whether you are for it or against it.”
The 90-second video featured multiple UK players — wearing T-shirts bearing the words Black Lives Matter — taking turns expressing condolences to the victims of racism, naming 10 such victims “and so many others” and asking for the Big Blue Nation, police departments and governmental officials to address the issues.
“It’s time for us to come together and make real change,” one player says followed by teammates saying, “We want conversation” and “we want actions.”
UK Coach John Calipari caps the video by appearing and saying, “We ask you to join us.”
The video ends with a recording of the late jazz singer Billie Holiday singing the haunting song, “Strange Fruit,” which includes “blood on the leaves, Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze” in its lyrics.
Judging by comments posted on social media, the video drew a mixed reaction. Sean T. Coats wrote that Black Lives Matter “is a Marxist group run by terrorists.”
An entity identified as “Blue Nation” asked that politics be kept out of Kentucky basketball.
Lucas said the players did not intend to make a political statement. “I just think they’re talking more of themselves and their experiences and people who look like them,” he said.
Mary Welsh posted, “I do not support BLM, and now probably not Kentucky MBB.”
Supportive reactions were posted, too. Cory Hensley wrote, “Just know, guys, most of BBN has your back and we will stand alongside you in the fight to end social injustice.” Wayne King wrote that “I’ve never been more proud of our team and coaches than I am right now.”
John Lopez lamented that negative responses might hurt future recruiting.
Lucas, whose titles include recruiting coordinator, said he had little concern about the reactions hindering UK’s recruiting efforts.
“It kind of goes both ways,” he said. “Because at a university, most of the kids on the team, most of the student-athletes are athletes of color. And so those kids are watching to see what each university is doing and how they are responding to what’s going on.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 12:46 PM.
