Yardbarker
x
Jalen Rose: 'I wish America loved black people as much as they love black culture'
ESPN's Jalen Rose, left, and Stephen A. Smith. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Rose: 'I wish America loved black people as much as they love black culture'

Following the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota African-American man who was killed while in police custody on May 25, sports figures such as LeBron James, Jon Jones, Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr, Carson Wentz and Joe Burrow have offered reactions and heartfelt emotional responses to the story.

During a Friday morning segment of ESPN's "Get Up," former NBA player and current on-air personality Jalen Rose provided his commentary on the state of race relations in the United States:

"I have to say this. I wish America loved black people as much as they love black culture," Rose said. "There's so many times that it gets cherry-picked, and it gets piggy-backed, but only when it's convenient. And sometimes it happens in entertainment and athletics. 

"We're not here designed only to entertain. We're actually living and breathing human beings that have a multitude of intelligence, work ethic, discipline and talent. We've overcome a lot just like so many other races. 

"This didn't just start happening," Rose continued. "You can Google. We've been sprayed with water hoses, we've been attacked by dogs, we've overcome it. I'm old enough to remember 'I Have A Dream,' 'Fight the Power,' 'Screw the Police.' Now it's 'I can't breathe.' 

"This is not new, and it's not going to come from just us. We need people who aren't black. We need people who aren't brown. When you know these things are happening in your society to have a voice, a legitimate one, lock and step with us. Protest with us. Post with us. Not just when it's convenient, when it can be uncomfortable. 

"The image of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee at a football game during the national anthem is the exact one that we see in Minnesota, when a guy was laying on the ground for over eight minutes, handcuffed, with a knee to his neck. And was murdered. 

"Let's start calling these things what they are," Rose said. "These are murderings. These are lynchings. These things have caused pain in our society, in our community, for hundreds of years. We've been screaming out for your assistance."

On Friday, the Associated Press and other outlets confirmed the white police officer shown kneeling on Floyd's neck in a video that went viral across multiple platforms had been arrested:

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.