LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Some former Kentucky basketball players are taking a stand against racial injustice.
Ravi Moss and Erik Daniels are organizing a protest on Saturday near UK's campus and athletic facilities.
Moss and Daniels played at UK in the early 2000s, but they still have close ties to big blue nation.
They believe it's important for people in the sports world to use their platform to push for change, and they hope their message resonates with fans.
"Hey you guys root for me, I need you to root for me and when I'm not wearing a jersey," said Ravi Moss, 02-06.
Moss and Daniels say they were proud to see UK's football team support the Black Lives Matter movement with a march last weekend, and they wanted to do something more to get involved.
"To sit here with your families to watch this on television and have conversations about it... It's been a really emotional time for me and my family. I have a son and he has to grow up and has to understand how to be a black man in America," said Erik Daniels, 00-04.
Daniels and Moss both say they've recently encountered racism, and the deaths of black people across the country really hurt.
The pair is lining up several speakers - from Kentucky politicians to young athletes - for Saturday's peaceful protest.
They believe it's going to take everyone to bring about real change, and they hope using their voices will make a difference.
"What we're doing is trying to get people together to understand and feel some empathy. Talk to the other side, have some conversations that are tough and awkward and uncomfortable. Because in being uncomfortable is where we can really progress and move forward together," said Moss.
The protest is set for Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00p.m. starting at the Joe Craft Center.
They plan to march from the Joe Craft Center to Rupp Arena and back.
