Just a day after graduating from Harvard, former Ivy Player of the Year Seth Towns was detained and subsequently released by police Friday in his hometown of Columbus after he protested nonviolently in response to the death of unarmed black people at the hands of police officers across America.
The protest in Columbus was one of many sparked by the video record of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis while three other officers stood nearby Monday.
Seth Towns addressed the incident on Twitter Saturday afternoon, noting that he was as proud of his nonviolent protest in downtown Columbus to cry out against the deaths of Floyd and Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician fatally shot in her home by police in March.
— Seth 💤 (@seth_towns17) May 30, 2020
SAY HIS NAME pic.twitter.com/PikjTPTpMq
— Seth 💤 (@seth_towns17) May 30, 2020
Under coach Tommy Amaker, the Harvard men’s basketball program has embraced social consciousness and activism. Amaker introduced sociologist and civil rights activist Harry Edwards and broadcaster James Brown for a discussion of activism in sports at Harvard in 2017 and has invited his players to monthly “Breakfast Club” gatherings which have included guests like philosopher Cornel West.
In a statement Saturday, Amaker quickly expressed support for Towns’s protest.
A statement from Coach Amaker. pic.twitter.com/vCG0YO9YBP
— Harvard Basketball (@HarvardMBB) May 30, 2020
Towns committed to Ohio State as a graduate transfer in March, and Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann in a statement Saturday said the program fully supports players’ right to protest.
Statement from Coach Holtmann on @seth_towns17 pic.twitter.com/yMrzEpIZlg
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) May 30, 2020
Towns’s former assistant coaches, teammates and Ivy opponents expressed support for him Saturday.
Harvard assistant coach Brian Eskildsen tweeted out a photo of Towns with West (left) and Edwards.
Honored to stand with my brother @seth_towns17 in the fight for the basic human rights that ALL people deserve! I’m proud of who you are & continue to be inspired by your passion! LIBERTY IS THE SOUL’S RIGHT TO BREATHE pic.twitter.com/UEVOWihaDP
— Eski (@BrianEskildsen) May 30, 2020
Former Penn men’s captain Max Rothschild:
When fighting racism, we are on the same team. I stand with Seth and all of my Black brothers and sisters who have lived in fear for generations. I learned from many Black mentors/leaders growing up that silence is an injustice to your teammates. SO SPEAK UP #NoJusticeNoPeace https://t.co/l228GiS7yR
— Max Rothschild (@maxarothschild) May 30, 2020
Penn men’s assistant coach Nat Graham:
Stand with Seth and Harvard Basketball. #OneIvy #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/irFoScNo0y
— Nat Graham (@natgraham42) May 30, 2020
Former Harvard teammate Henry Welsh:
#StandWithSeth https://t.co/u6llR0XQQJ
— Henry Welsh (@henrywelsh24) May 30, 2020
Former Harvard teammate Tommy McCarthy:
Standing with my brother @seth_towns17 . Your courage and leadership is an example for all of us https://t.co/zZmzixrhCS
— Tommy McCarthy (@TOMMYMAC_2015) May 30, 2020
Former Harvard teammate Chris Egi, who explained his efforts to bring light to racial injustice and reflected on how coach Tommy Amaker makes Harvard a socially conscious basketball program in an appearance on our Inside Ivy Hoops podcast in Jan. 2019:
No justice, no peace @seth_towns17 https://t.co/6Bij2Tfcsj
— Christopher E. Egi (@chrisegi15) May 30, 2020
Harvard assistant coach Donny Guerinoni:
Words can’t express how proud we are of @seth_towns17. We as a society can & must do better & it starts at the ballot box. Vote! At all levels of OUR government — Congress, State, and Local officials. Justice & freedom for ALL, requires us ALL, to do our part. The time is now. https://t.co/gm1itW8tnb
— Donny Guerinoni (@donnyjg) May 30, 2020
Penn assistant coach Joe Mihalich:
#BLM #BlackLivesMatter #OneIvy standing with Seth & Harvard b-ball https://t.co/K0UGH7hMxz
— Coach Mihalich (@JoeMihalich) May 30, 2020
Former Cornell standout Matt Morgan:
Respect to my brother @seth_towns17 for standing up and speaking out! ✊🏾 https://t.co/imtOFq56oP
— M A T T M O R G A N (@TheRealMM10) May 30, 2020
Yeah if you still support Trump after all of this.. please unfollow me. https://t.co/G7XJXEp3SO
— M A T T M O R G A N (@TheRealMM10) May 30, 2020
Other players and coaches connected to Ivy hoops have recognized the racial injustice in America and the ongoing reckoning over it on Twitter, including former Cornell standout, current Minnesota graduate transfer and Minneapolis native Laura Bagwell-Katalinich:
Heart is aching for my city and the people in it who are hurting 💔 a microcosm of a nation in dire need of empathy and real change, starting at the TOP https://t.co/lXedNlJ4Eg
— LBK (@laurabagwellkat) May 30, 2020
Brown men’s basketball coach Mike Martin:
Grateful for young men like Seth Towns https://t.co/1WepH6B4n8
— Mike Martin (@mmartinbrown) May 30, 2020
Hopeful for change 🙏🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/GmB0G0G5gf
— Mike Martin (@mmartinbrown) May 30, 2020
Penn men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue:
Our country needs reform. We must realize that silence is compliance and compliance is unacceptable. We all must unite against racism. To all my friends, former & current players, fellow coaches and people I love: I am here to stand with you in this fight. #BLM
— Steve Donahue (@Coach_Donahue) May 30, 2020
Harvard women’s basketball coach Kathy Delaney-Smith:
— Harvard Basketball (@HarvardWBB) May 30, 2020
The Yale women’s basketball program:
A statement from Yale Women’s Basketball.
We will be part of the change.#ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/cPXGrRnC6P
— Yale Women’s Basketball (@YaleWBasketball) May 30, 2020
A statement from Head Coach Mike McLaughlin: pic.twitter.com/TXVXnMvhRy
— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) May 31, 2020
A statement from Cornell Women’s Basketball.#WeMust #WeWill #BetheChange pic.twitter.com/8HxnlT7t6Y
— CORNELLwbball (@cornellwbball) May 31, 2020
Columbia women’s basketball coach Megan Griffith:
We stand together & advocate for humanity. Our program is united. We promise to advocate & stand for social justice. We see people. We don’t judge. Our mission is to stand together to move forward as a society. This IS & WILL ALWAYS BE our mission.
— Megan Griffith (@CUCoachG) May 30, 2020
This post has been updated to include statements made Saturday by Chris Holtmann, Mike Martin, Mike McLaughlin, Megan Griffith and Cornell women’s basketball.