//Gamecocks' Frank Martin speaks out on racial inequality

Gamecocks' Frank Martin speaks out on racial inequality

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Gamecocks’ Frank Martin speaks out on racial inequality

COLUMBIA, S.C. — What began as a conversation on coronavirus quickly transformed into Frank Martin’s extensive and nuanced thoughts on society, race relations, police brutality, and social injustice.The South Carolina men’s basketball coach, speaking on the same day he revealed he tested positive last month for COVID-19, was asked if he’s had conversations with his players surrounding the unrest and protests sweeping across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minnesota last week. “Absolutely, I’ve been doing that my whole career,” Martin said. “It’s not something I started last week, or two years ago, or the situation in Ferguson. It’s what I grew up seeing.”I’m a big believer that there’s two kind of races in this country: some people run the 100-yard dash, and other people, like me, we run the 100-yard hurdles,” he continued. “Some people have obstacles to get to the finish line. Somehow, someway you got to deal with the obstacles and get to the finish line when you come from certain places or you look a certain way. “Martin went on to express concern about police brutality, adding that even though the country has experienced great progress in his lifetime, there’s still plenty of work to be done.”There’s a lot of things that need to be worked on, whether it’s police training or whatever it may be to stop the racial profiling when it comes to police officers,” he said. “But the reason I’m still here is because police officers took care of the kids in the neighborhood. “There’s a lot more good than bad, I know that to my core, I’ve experienced it. I’ve experienced the ugly too, I’ve been racially profiled as a driver in a car. So I understand, but I’ve been protected and helped by police officers so many more times. We’ve got to stand up and fix the problems, but don’t get this twisted now, I’m madly in love with the country and what that badge stands for for the majority of police officers.”Martin also discussed at length his thoughts on using his platform to speak out against what he sees as racial injustices, sharing the belief that he owes it to his student-athletes.”I think as a leader of young college kids, especially in our sport where a good percentage of them are African Americans, I think it’s important that we educate our players and that they know that we are with them, and here to help them and guide them and continue to create ways for them to find success.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. — What began as a conversation on coronavirus quickly transformed into Frank Martin’s extensive and nuanced thoughts on society, race relations, police brutality, and social injustice.

The South Carolina men’s basketball coach, speaking on the same day he revealed he tested positive last month for COVID-19, was asked if he’s had conversations with his players surrounding the unrest and protests sweeping across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minnesota last week.

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“Absolutely, I’ve been doing that my whole career,” Martin said. “It’s not something I started last week, or two years ago, or the situation in Ferguson. It’s what I grew up seeing.

“I’m a big believer that there’s two kind of races in this country: some people run the 100-yard dash, and other people, like me, we run the 100-yard hurdles,” he continued. “Some people have obstacles to get to the finish line. Somehow, someway you got to deal with the obstacles and get to the finish line when you come from certain places or you look a certain way. “

Martin went on to express concern about police brutality, adding that even though the country has experienced great progress in his lifetime, there’s still plenty of work to be done.

“There’s a lot of things that need to be worked on, whether it’s police training or whatever it may be to stop the racial profiling when it comes to police officers,” he said. “But the reason I’m still here is because police officers took care of the kids in the neighborhood.

“There’s a lot more good than bad, I know that to my core, I’ve experienced it. I’ve experienced the ugly too, I’ve been racially profiled as a driver in a car. So I understand, but I’ve been protected and helped by police officers so many more times. We’ve got to stand up and fix the problems, but don’t get this twisted now, I’m madly in love with the country and what that badge stands for for the majority of police officers.”

Martin also discussed at length his thoughts on using his platform to speak out against what he sees as racial injustices, sharing the belief that he owes it to his student-athletes.

“I think as a leader of young college kids, especially in our sport where a good percentage of them are African Americans, I think it’s important that we educate our players and that they know that we are with them, and here to help them and guide them and continue to create ways for them to find success.”