Recent Harvard graduate and Ohio State graduate transfer Seth Towns continued to protest in downtown Columbus Sunday, a day after he was detained following a nonviolent protest there in response to the death of unarmed black people at the hands of police officers across America.
Using a bullhorn, Towns, a Columbus native and 2017-18 Ivy Player of the Year, stressed the importance of protesting against racial injustice and led the crowd in a chant of “We have a voice.”
“This is not our choice,” Towns said. “This is our duty as people in a democracy … Everybody who I love has texted me and said ‘Stay out of harm’s way. While you’re out there protesting, stay out of harm’s way.’ But I’m always in harm’s way.”’
Towns had appeared on SportsCenter late Saturday night to discuss being detained and the importance of speaking out.
Towns’s former teammate and 2018 Harvard graduate Chris Egi invited those interested in supporting the No More Names 10,000 Voices campaign, an effort to remember lives taken by police brutality and push for criminal justice reform. Egi discussed the campaign on an episode of Ivy Hoops Online’s Inside Ivy Hoops podcast in Jan. 2019.
If you’re a current/former college athlete looking for ways to help, we have a growing group of 160 athletes using our collective voice to amplify the work of activists on the ground and create a world where there are no more victims. DM me or @_NoMoreNames if you want to join.
— Christopher E. Egi (@chrisegi15) May 31, 2020
Yale assistant men’s basketball coach Justin Simon appeared to tweet from a protest for black justice held in New Haven Sunday. Yale athletic director Vicky Chun also attended.
Silence condones. Speak up ✊✊✊✊✊ #NewHavenProtest pic.twitter.com/kp6Ivi3hOj
— Justin Simon (@YaleCoachSimon) May 31, 2020
Other current and former Ivy hoops players and coaches offered thoughts on the importance of black justice and equality Sunday.
Former Penn men’s hoopster and 2015 graduate Camryn Crocker:
Let’s talk about it… pic.twitter.com/ugDLBn8gsC
— Camryn Crocker (@camcrocker_) June 1, 2020
Rising Dartmouth junior men’s hoopster Taurus Samuels:
Been thinking about this lately. Stay safe and healthy! #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/jXm0LV1LF3
— Taurus Samuels (@TaurusSamuels) May 31, 2020
Princeton men’s basketball coach Mitch Henderson:
We are all teammates. We are in this together. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/EMlUQN2Q9t
— Princeton Basketball (@PrincetonMBB) June 1, 2020
Princeton women’s basketball assistant coach Lauren Battista:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” -MLK
✊✊✊✊✊#ChooseLove #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/jJrXNpf9FS
— Lauren Battista (@LaurenBattista) May 31, 2020
Cornell men’s basketball assistant coach and former Princeton player Clay Wilson:
John 13:34, “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.”
Our country needs change. Our country needs love. Our country needs Jesus. #stopracism #love #PrayForTheWorld #PrayforUSA
— Clay Wilson (@clay3wilson) May 31, 2020
Former Cornell men’s basketball player Matt Morgan:
This is what we need more of!! ✊ https://t.co/Dx6csuWdXc
— M A T T M O R G A N (@TheRealMM10) May 31, 2020
Former Princeton men’s basketball player and coach Sydney Johnson:
If you NOTICE it, you will shake your head
If you CARE, you will feel the urge to respond (and probably issue a statement)
If it AFFECTS you, you will act every day of your life because there is no other choice for you
Does it AFFECT you?
— Sydney Johnson (@CoachSydneyJ) May 31, 2020
Dartmouth men’s basketball coach David McLaughlin:
— David McLaughlin (@DartCoachMac) May 31, 2020
Princeton women’s basketball coach Carla Berube:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
A statement from Head Coach Carla Berube. #BlackLivesMatter #BeTheChange pic.twitter.com/uLM5mgWMTU
— Princeton WBB (@PrincetonWBB) May 31, 2020
Yale men’s basketball:
A statement from Yale Men’s Basketball
.#ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/1RSCUysfLV
— Yale Men’s Basketball (@YaleMBasketball) May 31, 2020
Dartmouth women’s basketball:
Mind on Change pic.twitter.com/zq4qqlSwtw
— Dartmouth College WBB (@DartmouthWBB) May 31, 2020