Cheers to Ariyana Smith: “I could not play that game”
December 5, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Saturday, November 28. During the singing of the national anthem, Knox College basketball star Ariyana Smith stood on the basketball court with her arms raised up in a “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” posture. She then walked toward the American flag, her arms still raised and fell to the ground—and lay there for a full 4.5 minutes, symbolizing the 4.5 hours that Michael Brown’s body lay in the streets after he was shot down and killed by Ferguson cop Darren Wilson.
The game was against Fontbonne University—in Clayton, Missouri, the very city where the grand jury chose not to indict officer Darren Wilson.
Ariyana Smith was immediately suspended by her coach—Knox College later reversed the punishment.
Smith said: “I could not go into that gym and pretend that everything was OK...I could not play in good conscience. I could not play that game.”
Volunteers Needed... for revcom.us and Revolution
If you like this article, subscribe, donate to and sustain Revolution newspaper.