Chambana Sun

Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman and Illinois football coach Lovie Smith reacted to the death of George Floyd by issuing a statement calling for change. 

“A few things we need to acknowledge and we can’t go much farther until we do this: systemic racism exists in our world,” Smith told the State Journal-Register. “We have to acknowledge that first before we go any farther. I’ve seen it."

Smith said it's one thing to identify the problem, but the state needs to make a change. 

"That’s what we’ve been doing at the University of Illinois," Smith said. "We’re trying to make the world better, but it can’t be words. I talk to our players about, ‘Hey, you have the right to protest.’ That’s great. That’s what college life is all about, in a peaceful manner. But then, ‘What else do you do?’ That’s where we are right now. What else do we do to make football better and make the world better?”

Whitman said families and communities have to pitch in to make a difference. 

“Adding a blip in the news cycle will not bring needed change,” Whitman said. “Change will come only if words are supported by actions, and only if those actions carry forward long after the protests subside, the cameras stop recording, and the media’s attention shifts elsewhere.”

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn has also spoken out about the death of Floyd, according to the State Journal-Register. 

“Moving to the U.S., I have witnessed this heartbreaking act first-hand and I am more than capable of putting myself in someone else’s shoes,” Cockburn said on social media. “These are hard times that we face right now and as a people, both black and white, we need to stand up for what we know is right.”

Illinois incoming freshman Adam Millet has also said he will continue to use his platform to better the situation, according to the State Journal-Register. 

“I’m going to try to continue using my platform and become a voice because I know there’s a lot of kids that follow me,” Miller said. “I want them to know that when they get to 18 or 19, we’re going to make a change for them. In the future, I’m going to be having kids. I don’t want my kids to go through the same problems I went through.”