LAWRENCE — The idea was passed around the locker room. The Kansas volleyball team wanted to do something to raise awareness of social injustice.
Following the Sept. 16 shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, in Tulsa, Okla., KU’s players met before going to coach Ray Bechard ahead of the team’s game against Oklahoma on Sept. 21.
Not wanting to rush into anything, the display — which Bechard later referred to as a “moment of reflection” — was pushed back to the next home game against Baylor last Saturday.
With the support of the athletics staff, the players and coaches locked arms and took a knee before the national anthem while the public address announcer read a message about inclusiveness and standing together against social injustice.