The shocking events that took place Monday in Minneapolis have left an indelible mark on American society over the past few days. The death of George Floyd while in police custody has led to several protests across the nation.
Everyone one from Floyd’s family and friends to major celebrities have spoken out against the actions of the Minneapolis police department. Several sports figures have used their platform as well.
One of the athletes to give voice to the unrest is a five-star basketball prospect.
Skyy Clark, a 2022 combo guard from Brentwood, Tenn., was one of many to take part in the Nashville protest on Saturday.
“Five-star guard and @ESPN top-20 recruit Skyy Clark recently moved from California to Brentwood, TN. Holds an offer from @jerrystackhouse and @VandyMBB, among dozens of other high-majors. Clark took part in the peaceful protests earlier in Nashville,” Simon Gibbs of the Vanderbilt Hustler tweeted.
Others took notice of Clark’s presence as well.
“Pictured is Skyy Clark, not just a five-star basketball player an amazing character off the floor. He, and many other athletes are using their platform to the fullest and spreading awareness must continue,” Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com tweeted.
All the protests come after a video surfaced of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin putting his knee into the neck of Floyd after he was handcuffed for an alleged forgery violation. Floyd later died at the hospital. Chauvin has since been arrested and charged with third-degree murder.
In the video, the officer was seen putting his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes after he was handcuffed on his stomach. Floyd can be heard telling the officers he could not breath, and he eventually appears to become unconscious; he later was pronounced dead.
Bystanders in the video continued to tell police officers that Floyd could not breathe, but they did not let him up from the cement, despite the constant outcry.
Clark (6-2, 185) is considered one of Kentucky’s top recruiting targets in the 2022 class. He has drawn comparisons to UK guard and potential NBA lottery pick Tyrese Maxey, is being recruited by UK assistant Joel Justus and is ranked as the No. 1 combo guard and No. 18 overall prospect in the 2022 class by the industry average 247Sports Composite.
He was in attendance at Rupp Arena in late February to watch the Wildcats capture the SEC championship outright with a 73-66 win over Auburn.
Clark’s father, Kenny, a former NFL wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, called it a “game-changing visit.”