Duke’s Coach K Says ‘Black Lives Matter’ Is ‘Not A Political Statement, It’s A Human Rights Statement’

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is making an emphatic statement in support of the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

In the immediate wake of George Floyd’s death on May 25, numerous high-profile college football and basketball coach made statements. Coach K was not among the first to comment even though he is among the most well-known and respected college coaches.

Now the seven-time national coach of the year, five-time NCAA championship coach and three-time Olympic gold medal winner has put out a statement that has been viewed more than two million times.

He said “it’s time” to “end systemic racism and social injustice.”

Here’s the full transcript of the video:

Black Lives Matter. Say it. Can’t you say it? Black Lives Matter. We should be saying it every day. It’s not political. This is not a political statement. It’s a human rights statement. It’s a fairness statement. Over the last couple months, I have had an opportunity to see more, to listen more, to think more and to understand at a deeper level. So have you, so have you. 

“Do we not see the problem, the disease, the plague that has been with our country for four centuries? Do we not see systemic racism and social injustice? Come on. We all see that. It’s manifested in so many ways: criminal justice, the killings that we have seen and we haven’t seen, the denial of economic opportunities for our Black community, educational opportunities, healthcare. It’s manifested in so many ways and has been there for four centuries.

“We see that. And what we do when we see that, we talk but we turn the other way. We don’t solve the problem. The problem will not be solved, and no problem is solved, unless you acknowledge the problem. Acknowledge it. If you acknowledge it, you have the duty to solve it. We as a country have the duty to solve this problem.

“When I was a cadet at West Point — and the prayer is still there, there is a cadet prayer — in the cadet prayer one of the segments of the prayer says, Lord help me choose the harder right. Help me choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong. We as a country have chosen the easier wrong for four centuries. It is time to choose the harder right. It is time to end systemic racism and social injustice. It’s time. Black Lives Matter.”