NHL stars Crosby, McDavid join chorus of athletes condemning racial injustice

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This article was published 02/06/2020 (1570 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NHL stars Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid have added their voices to the chorus of athletes condemning racial injustice.

Crosby, captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, released a statement through his charitable foundation’s Twitter page Wednesday, calling the death of George Floyd something that “cannot be ignored.”

“Racism that exists today in all forms is not acceptable,” Crosby said in the statement. “While I am not able to relate to the discrimination that black and minority communities face daily, I will listen and educate myself on how I can help make a difference.”

Floyd was killed last week when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into the 46-year-old black man’s neck for nearly nine minutes. The officer has been charged with second-degree murder, while three other officers at the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting.

Floyd’s death set off mass protests against racial injustice and police brutality across the United States.

McDavid posted a statement on his Twitter feed later Wednesday condemning Floyd’s death.

“Like everyone watched the horror of George Floyd’s murder and felt helpless and sick to my stomach,” the Edmonton Oilers captain said. “And as I have watched the many protests against racism and social injustice that have been taking place around the world, I realize that I need to do more to educate myself.”

“As a young white male and pro athlete, I realize we live a very privileged life,” he added. “I believe that the time is now for all of us to get out of our comfort zones, to not sit idly on the sidelines and to be part of the solution to ensure we end racism in our society.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2020.