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Ex-Cal Star Jaylen Brown Speaks Out on Jacob Blake Shooting

Words of Boston Celtics forward need no introduction or description. Just listen to the video. Other Cal alumni also make comments on the issue
Jake Curtis|
Ex-Cal Star Jaylen Brown Speaks Out on Jacob Blake Shooting
Ex-Cal Star Jaylen Brown Speaks Out on Jacob Blake Shooting

Former Cal star and current Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has been at the forefront of social injustice protests for a long time, and there is no need to introduce his response to the shooting of Jacob Blake. Just listen to what he said before beginning his media availability on Tuesday. (Text of his words appear below.)

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The text of Bown's words:

“There is an emphasis in this country on the framing of these instances, such as Jacob Blake. ‘Well, he was a convicted felon, he had a history of police brutality, he possibly had a weapon.’ This framework is not unfamiliar to people of color or African Americans, nor does it constitute death or being shot seven times.

“The reality is, the majority of African Americans and people of color have a history with the police. It comes with plagues like systemic oppression, lack of education, economic opportunity and housing. Most people of color, most minority communities, have issues with the police.

“The question that I would like to ask is: does America think Black people or people of color are uncivilized, savages, or naturally unjust? Or are we products of the environments that we participate in? That’s the question I would like to ask to America and America has proven its answer over and over and over again. Are we not human beings? Is Jacob Blake not a human being?

“I don’t care if he did something 10 years ago, 10 days ago, 10 minutes ago. If he served his sentence and he was released back into society, he still deserves to be treated like a human and does not deserve to be shot in the back seven times with the intent to kill. His kids will never unsee that, his family will never unsee that, and, frankly, I will never unsee it. People post my jersey all the time, No. 7. Every time I look at my jersey now, what I see is a Black man being shot seven times. All America sees is his background or his background report. It’s easier to see that than it is to see the truth.”

On Monday, former Cal star and current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers responded to the Blake shooting.

"There's a systemic problem," Rodgers said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Until the problem is fixed, this is going to be an all-too-common sighting in this country." 

See a video of Rodgers' comments here.

Former Cal star and current Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan offered this tweet:

.Ex-Cal player Marvin Jones Jr. is a member of a Detroit Lions team that canceled practice in response to the Blake shooting. Here is what Jones tweeted:

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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