Utah Jazz Players Williams-Goss, Brantley Attend Peaceful Protest In Salt Lake City
Jun 4, 2020, 11:31 AM | Updated: 11:36 am
Nigel Williams-Goss #0 of the Utah Jazz drives past Kevin White #3 of the Adelaide 36ers at Vivint Smart Home Arena on October 5, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Jazz guard Nigel Williams-Goss and forward Jarrell Brantley attended a peaceful protest in Salt Lake City, according to multiple posts on social media.
One photo of them shows Williams-Goss holding a sign that reads, “We demand change #BLM.”
Brantley retweeted the photo using #BLM, which stands for Black Lives Matter, a movement intended to fight racism.
BLM ✊🏾 https://t.co/JGVwGfbgGB
— Jarrell Brantley (@jstuntbrantley) June 4, 2020
Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter Chris Haynes posted a photo of Williams-Goss at the protest.
“Utah Jazz guard Nigel Williams-Goss on the grounds this evening in Salt Lake City. After this term, he has one class left at Gonzaga to earn his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership,” read the tweet.
Utah Jazz guard Nigel Williams-Goss (@NigelWG5) on the grounds this evening in Salt Lake City. After this term, he has one class left at Gonzaga to earn his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. pic.twitter.com/LUY9KyCrbA
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 4, 2020
Say all lives matter, you expose yourself and where you stand …#BlackLivesMatter
— Jarrell Brantley (@jstuntbrantley) June 2, 2020
Thank you @AppleMusic for your support of justice and equality for the black community !!!
— Nigel Williams-Goss (@NigelWG5) June 2, 2020
Nigel Williams-Goss’ Background And Education
Williams-Goss has one of the most impressive college degrees of any Jazz player in the last 20 years. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Gonzaga and was working on his Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership before making the leap to pro basketball.
Williams-Goss graduated with a 3.8 GPA from the private school and was named an Academic All-American.
No way I'm standing here today without these two. Thanks for all of your sacrifices mom and dad! Love always ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7wBSL5wKP7
— Nigel Williams-Goss (@NigelWG5) May 14, 2017
Williams-Goss has a white mother and a black father. His mother, Dr. Valerie Williams-Goss, is a doctor of human services and a therapist in private practice. She penned the article for Yahoo! Sports on Friday, May 29.
“My mom, who has her PhD in Human Services (and is white) wrote this article today!” the Jazz guard posted about his mother. “It addresses the role that white people, and all races, can play in helping change our current social climate. THIS is why my mom is my hero!”
https://t.co/JU4OTXLzDa
My mom, who has her PhD in Human Services (and is white) wrote this article today! It addresses the role that white people, and all races, can play in helping change our current social climate. THIS is why my mom is my hero! Plz share and RT— Nigel Williams-Goss (@NigelWG5) May 29, 2020
“Recently, my son, Nigel Williams Goss, was drafted into the NBA. When word got around that my son played professional basketball, I heard a plethora of racist comments congratulating me for having a white son playing in a predominately black sport. I had to tell countless people that my son is biracial and then used those moments to educate even my racist clients about what their words and behaviors meant to the world and how hurtful they were,” Dr. Williams-Goss wrote.
Other Jazz Players Speak Out About Racial Inequality
Jazz players and coaches have used their platform over the past weeks to speak out about the death of George Floyd, police brutality and racial injustice in the United States and around the world.
Rudy Gobert expressed frustration about police brutality after seeing the video of Floyd’s death.
If you let your coworker do that to another human being without trying to stop him or talk to him out of it, you are as gulty as he is. Frustrating for the majority of good cops that take a lot of risk doing their job the right way everyday. https://t.co/HncJfZcVeD
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) May 26, 2020
Donovan Mitchell, arguably the most high profile jazzman, has been very active on Twitter in the fight against racial injustice, encouraging people to speak up.
Your silence speaks volumes…
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 1, 2020
Another Utah Jazz fan favorite, Jordan Clarkson posted photos and Instagram stories of himself at a protest in Los Angeles.
Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder acted quickly in joining the NBA Coaches Association’s committee to combat racism, racial profiling and police brutality.
National Basketball Coaches Association Membership Statement on the Death of George Floyd pic.twitter.com/Yc7QNpnVr5
— NBA Coaches Assoc. (@NBA_Coaches) June 1, 2020
Snyder discussed the committee and his plan to help on Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast. He recognized that combating racism requires more than just supporting his fellow coaches and players.
“Trying to be transparent with yourself and being a little bit uncomfortable knowing that, you know, in your heart, ‘I’m not a racist,’” Snyder said, “But it’s also about being willing to have that dialogue, to be transparent, to be honest with yourself. And ultimately, I think as a white man, what I was hearing was, we need help.”
