Greg and Erica McCall share voice on injustice

Greg and Erica McCall share voice on injustice

MANY IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS AREBEING HELD ACROSS THECOUNTRY RIGHT NOW AS PEOPLEFIGHT FOR EQUALITY ANDINJUSTICE FOLLOWING THE DEATH OFGEORGE FLOYD.THE MCCALLS A FAMILY BONDED BYBASKETBALL HAVE ALWAYS HADTHESE CONVERSATIONS AT HOME.THROUGHOUTTHIS NATIONWIDE UNREST, THEYHAVE BEGUN TO SHARE THEIRVOICES OUTSIDE OF THOSE WALLS.

..TOGETHER SENDING ASTRONG MESSAGE.AS A PARENT, YOU FEEL PROUD OFTHE FACT THAT YOUR KIDS HAVEMADE IT THISFAR.

BECAUSE KNOWING THAT SOMEOF THE THINGS THAT COULDPOSSIBLYHAPPEN.THE MCCALLS ARE A BASKETBALLLOVING FAMILY WITH NEARLYEVERY MEMBER HAVING AN IMPACT ONTHE COURT.NOW.

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.THEY ARE FOCUSED ONHAVING ONE IN THEIRCOMMUNITIES.TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT PEOPLELISTEN TO US LISTEN TO OURFAMILY, THAT WE HAVERESPECT AND BAKERSFIELD, ANDTHAT PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT WE'RETRYING TOPOSITIVELY IMPACT THE CITY, THESTATE IN THIS COUNTRY.ERICA IS ONE OF SIX SIBLINGS.

..AS HER AND HER SISTER DEWANNABOTH PLAY PROFESSIONALLY.SHE'S USING THAT PLATFORM TOMAKE HER VOICE HEARD.WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE THAT AREIGNORANT TO WHAT WE'RE GOINGTHROUGH, REACHING OUT TO THEMDOESN'T HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW,DEROGATORYOR IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN ANEGATIVE LIGHT.

IT'S JUST ALLABOUT SHARING THEEDUCATION WITH THEM SHARING YOUROWN EXPERIENCES, AND HOPEFULLY,IT'SSOMETHING THAT CAN REFLECT ON INTHAT THEY CAN CHANGE THEIRMINDSETS ABOUT IT.HER DAD.

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CSUB WOMEN'SBASKETBALL COACH GREGMCCALL RECOGNIZES THE NEED FORCHANGE IN THISCOUNTRY EVEN HAVING SEEN STRIDESTAKEN FROM WHEN HEGREW UP IN ALABAMA DURING THE70'S AND 80'S.STILL GETS ME REALLY EMOTIONALBECAUSE I REALLY STILL DON'THAVE AN ANSWER.

THEOTHER DAY I FELT HELPLESSBECAUSE IF THEY COMPLY WITHOFFICER LOOK ATWHAT HAPPENED TO GEORGE.

WHATHAPPENED TO MR. FLOYD.WHERE I GREW UP.

YOU KNOW, ITWAS DEFINITELY BLACK AND WHITE.THERE WASNOTHING IN BETWEEN LOOKING ATTODAY AND LOOKING AT HOW THINGSARE GOINGAND PROTESTS ARE GOING, YOU SEEALL THE DIFFERENT COLORS,DIFFERENTRACES, GOT WHITE, YOU GOT BLACK,MARCHING TOGETHER, IT REALLYFEELS GOODTO SEE THAT HAPPEN.FOR ERICA.

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.GROWING UP BLACKHAD ITS OWNCHALLENGES.BEING BLACK AND IN BAKERSFIELD.I CAN'T SAY THAT IT WASNECESSARILY TOUGH.MY DAD HAD A DIFFERENT, YOUKNOW, EXPERIENCING GROWING UP.BUT FORME IT WAS ALWAYS JUST BEING THAT1% IN CLASS, IT'S A LOT OFPRESSURE TO LIVE INBAKERSFIELD.

BUT AS A BLACKPERSON, JUST ALWAYS MAKING SUREYOU DO THERIGHT THING SO THAT PEOPLE CANLOOK IN YOU A CERTAIN KIND OFWAY SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE IT FARBECAUSE I HAD TO DO THE EXTRASTEPS.

YOU KNOW, WE SAY ASBLACK PEOPLE, WE HAVE ADISADVANTAGE, WE HAVE TO DOMORE.AND SO I TRY TO CARRY MYSELFWITH THAT, WITH THAT PRIDE WITHTHAT DIGNITY THAT I AM A BLACKMAN LIVING IN BAKERSFIELD THATTHAT YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL BUTAT THE SAME TIME YOU STILL HAVETO KNOW THAT YOU ARE A BLACKMAN AND THAT YOU ARE STILL BEINGSOMETIMES CRITIQUED ON A LOT OFDIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU THATYOU THAT YOU DO.AS COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDEPROTEST FOR RACIAL INJUSTICE,THIS FAMILY BELIEVES THAT GEORGEFLOYD.

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AND COUNTLESSOTHERS.

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ARE LEAVING A LEGACYOF CHANGE.I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO DO WITH MYOLD FAMILY AND MY KIDSESPECIALLY IS TRYINGTO KEEP THEM OUT OF HARM'S WAY.NOT HAVE TO HAVE THEM EXPERIENCEA LOT OFTHE THINGS I'VE WENT THROUGH ANDTHAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALWAYSWANT FROMYOUR KIDS YOU WANT BETTER.STARTS WITH CHANGE FROM UP TOPAND THEN IT TRICKLES DOWN TO THEBOTTOM.

ONCE WE GET CHANGED UPTOP, I THINK WE'LL SEE A HUGETURN AND HOWJUST HOW BLACK PEOPLE ARETREATED ACROSS THE WORLD BECAUSEJUSTEVERYDAY IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVESWE'RE SCARED.AS COACH MCCALL CONTINUESCONVERSATIONS WITH HIS TEAM OFFEMALE ATHLETES.

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ERICA ISENSURING HEROWN VOICE ISN'T SILENCED.WE'RE JUST AS VULNERABLE.

AND IHOPE PEOPLE CAN RECOGNIZE THATINTHE BLACK WOMAN ALL ACROSS THISCOUNTRY, THAT WE STAY EMPOWEREDTHAT WE STAY UNITED, WE STAYTOGETHER.

AND WITH THAT, I THINKTHAT CHANGEDINCOME AND THAT WILL DEFINITELYSHOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THATTOGETHER AS ONE,WE CAN DO IT.I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF THEM FORTAKING TIME TO SHAREIMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE.ALTHOUGH A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY.

..THEY STILL HAVEDIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WORTHSHARING AS WELL ANDBOTH VOICES HOLD WEIGHT DURINGTHIS TIME.ESPECIALLY AS WE REMEMBER TODAYTHE LIFE OF BREONNA TAYLOR..

WHO WAS FATALLY SHOT AT HOMEIN MARCH.IN DOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD, KARIOSEP, BACK TO YOU.I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF THEM FORTAKING TIME TO SHAREIMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE..THEY STILL HAVEDIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WORTHSHARING AS WELL AND BOTH VOICESHOLD WEIGHT DURING THIS TIME.ESPECIALLY AS WE REMEMBER TODAYTHE LIFE OF BREONNA TAYLOR.

.WHO WAS FATALLY SHOT AT HOME INMARCH.

IN DOWNTOWN BAKERS