Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes, an ex-NBA player, has started a college fund for the sons of Stephon Clark according to Good Black News.
Clark is the unarmed 22-year-old Black man that was killed by a police officer in Sacramento, California. After cops asked him to put his hands up they thought they saw a gun in his hands and shot him. Only to find out he was holding his cellphone.
Barnes who has played for the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings took initiative over the future of the Clark boys. On March 31, while at a rally in Sacramento, he gave a speech about the relationship between law enforcement and Black America.
“We fear what we don’t know. We don’t know these cops, so we fear them. They don’t know us, so they fear us,” said Barnes while holding on of Clark’s sons. “When you get out and know someone on a first-name basis, when you are called to the situation, next time you may be able to defuse the situation.”
Barnes was especially struck by Clark’s story after hearing it from his 9-year-old son who asked if cops were bad people.
“I had to pause for a second because the emotion of me wanted to say yes, but at the same time cops aren’t bad, one cop doesn’t make every one bad,” expressed Barnes. “But one black man doesn’t make everybody guilty. It’s more than color. It comes down to wrong and right.”
He went on to speak about the fears for his own sons saying,” I fear for them. I fear for the streets and now I’ve got to fear for the cops.” He continued, “How do we explain to our kids that because of the color of your skin people aren’t going to like you? That’s not fair, but that’s what we have to explain to our kids every day.”
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(Source: Good Black News)
(Photo Credit: Izumi Hasegawa / PR Photos)
