For Sparks’ Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, George Floyd death hits home
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt knows the story too well. A black man is killed by a police officer. Outrage, anguish and sadness follow.
Whether it was Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, whose deaths in 2016 led the current Sparks forward to organize protests when she was with the Washington Mystics, or George Floyd, who died after a police officer pressed a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes last month, Ruffin-Pratt is reminded of Julian Dawkins.
Her cousin.
Dawkins was 22 when he was fatally shot by an off-duty Arlington (Va.) County Sheriff’s deputy in 2013. It was two houses down from where Ruffin-Pratt grew up. Her family had gotten together that night to celebrate Ruffin-Pratt making the Washington Mystics roster as an undrafted free agent. The deputy, who was black, was sentenced to six years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.
Seeing the protests for another black man killed by a police officer this week stirred the emotions of her family tragedy, but the Sparks forward, speaking with reporters Wednesday, said she sees steps “in the right direction.” She just doesn’t want the progress to stop when the protests clear from the streets.
“I think this last week or so has been some of the most craziest things we’ve seen in our lifetime, but we’re being heard and that’s what’s most important,” Ruffin-Pratt said. “And if this continues and if people continue to voice their opinion, continue to stand in solidarity with African Americans and the black community, anything can happen. But it can’t just be the black community that’s standing by themselves. It has to be the white community standing with us as well because if they don’t change, then nothing’s going to change.”
When asked about what aspects of the police force could change to show progress, Ruffin-Pratt agreed with the importance of stringent background checks and psychological screening for prospective officers. She advocated for more African American police officers to provide more understanding in the force.
Allies often ask others how they can help facilitate change, but Ruffin-Pratt said they need to ask themselves that question first.
“All we can say is look yourself in the mirror,”…
- Advertisement -
Read More: For Sparks’ Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, George Floyd death hits home 2020-06-04 01:24:55
- Advertisement -