NORFOLK, Va. — Former Norfolk State basketball player Steven Whitley knew he wanted to do something.
"I was already thinking about getting involved, they gave me a call, and I guess that was my sign to do something."
The "they" Whitley is talking about are fellow 757 basketball staples Dimitri Bailey and Corey Turner. The pair conceived the idea of an athlete-led rally and their first call was Whitley.
The idea was to use the athletes' platform to not only raise awareness, but to also show that without a jersey on, they're just as vulnerable to injustice as anyone else. They also wanted to communicate what they see when they watched George Floyd being murdered.
"I have a twin brother, I have a father, uncles, and that's the first thing I thought about. I put them in that position," said Whitley.
Whitley ran with the opportunity all the way to a rally scheduled for Saturday, July 11 at 1 p.m. at Town Center in Virginia Beach. Masks, water, and ponchos will be available.