Pirates speak out against George Floyd killing, vow to invest and 'help effect positive change'
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday spoke out against the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, calling it “yet another in a long, sad line of senseless acts of racial injustice in our country” and vowing to invest “the time, energy and resources necessary to help effect positive change.”
In a statement on social media after days of peaceful protests have been followed by chaos and clashes with police all across the country, including Pittsburgh, the MLB club expressed its “deepest sympathies to the Floyd family and all of those affected.”
— Pirates (@Pirates) June 2, 2020
“We stand with the Black and Brown communities and the thousands of peaceful protesters who are calling for much needed systemic change throughout our nation,” the statement said. “We all must work together to eliminate racism in any and all forms, no matter where it may exist. It has no place in our society.”
The Pirates said they are in a “unique position as a sports franchise to help drive awareness, build unity and push for an end to these tragedies” and have “already begun to reach out to our community leaders to listen, learn and identify ways that we can provide needed support.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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