Cal Athletic programs issue statements regarding the nation’s protests

The protests taking place across the country have hit home especially in the state of California and with seemingly every major athletic institution standing in solidarity against the murder of George Floyd, the California Golden Bears were no different. Over the past few days, several programs have issued their own statements regarding the protests and the current happenings in the United States.

The Cal XC/Track & Field Twitter account issued their statement that read:

“On behalf of the entire California track & field coaching staff, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd.

Our track & field program is proud to be a part of the Cal Athletics family, which embraces equality of all student-athlete backgrounds and promotes respect for one another.

We stand with members of the black community who are angry, frustrated and hurt by racially-motivated violence around our nation.

It takes all of us to enact change within the entrenched belief systems in our country. We must be willing to both listen and embrace uncomfortable conversations in order to have more compassion and respect for all.

While there is much work to be done ahead of us, we encourage everyone to do their part. We should celebrate our differences rather than fear and hide from them. It’s time to promote moving forward as part of the solution.

The Cal Basketball account also spoke out, stating that Cal Women’s Basketball stands in solidarity with their leader, Charmin Smith.

Smith also posted her own experiences during the peaceful protests.

Cal Football head coach Justin Wilcox’ statement read as follows:

“It is heartbreaking every time we see and hear about racially-charged violence, no matter where it occurs. It should not be our present; it should not be our future. We must all work together to combat racism at every level. Together we can and must progress forward.”

Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton penned a smaller note as well to his Twitter account, saying “discrimination, bigotry and racism have no place in our society. Rather, they connote the precise opposite of our values. We must do better, and I know we thrive when we embrace diversity and respect for one another.”