Malcolm Brogdon participates in peaceful protest in Atlanta

Taking action in response to the tragic death of George Floyd in Minnesota, who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes, Malcolm Brogdon was among those in Atlanta protesting the rising number of police-brutality related incidents.

Holding a megaphone while marching alongside Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Brogdon spoke out against discrimination and urged those joining him to remain peaceful.

“I’ve got brothers, I’ve got sisters, I’ve got friends that are in the streets, that are out here, that haven’t made it to this level, that are experiencing it, that are getting pulled over, just discrimination, day after day,” said the 27-year-old point guard and community member. “Dealing with the same bulls---. This is systematic. This isn’t something where we come and ... we don’t have to burn down our homes. We built this city. This is the most proudly black city in the world. In the world, man. Let’s take some pride in that. Let’s focus our energy. Let’s enjoy this together.

“This is a moment. We have leverage right now. We have a moment in time. People are going to look back, our kids are going to look back at this and say, ‘You were part of that.’ I’ve got a grandfather that marched next to [Martin Luther King Jr.] in the ‘60s, and he was amazing. He would be proud to see us all here. We got to keep pushing forward. Jaylen has led this charge, man, and I’m proud of him. We need more leaders.”

Shortly after video of Brogdon’s speech went viral, Myles Turner took to Twitter to voice support for his point guard’s message.

T.J. Warren has also been vocal on social media in the wake of Floyd’s death, most recently posting an image of a protest sign on his Instagram Story.

Brogdon and Brown both serve as NBPA Vice Presidents.