I was horrified and deeply saddened by the footage of the last moments in the life of George Floyd. Like so many before him, Mr. Floyd’s death was the preventable product of a system that too often treats Black Americans as targets for suspicion, oppression, and violence.
Over the past three days I have found myself thinking of the many young men that I have been fortunate to coach and get to know in my career. Each of them is a child of a loving Father in Heaven, full of their own power and potential to make a positive impact on the world around them — just like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others were before their deaths.
I am fortunate and privileged, humbled, and honored, to lead young men of all races, all faiths, and all beliefs in a shared pursuit of excellence on the field of play, in the classroom, and in life after college. I have no way of fully understanding the fear, pain, and anger members of the Black community at UVA and all over the world are feeling right now. But that doesn’t absolve me, or anyone else, from our responsibility to be honest about the world around us and to use our influence to drive positive change. I pray that God will bless the memory of George Floyd and so many others and that we will not waste another moment to build a society where every person enjoys the same right to life, liberty, and happiness as citizens of this nation.
Bronco Mendenhall
Head Coach
UVa Football
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