Ex-Minneapolis cop Tou Thao sentenced for his role in George Floyd's death

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Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao's (right) inaction as he warded off onlookers resulted
in the death of George Floyd, (behind him on the ground.)

UPDATED: July 28, 11 a.m. to correct spelling and editing errors and to add more details.

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Tou Thao was sentenced to 42 months in prison for his role in the death of Gorge Floyd Jr.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Wednesday (July 27) the Hmong American officer along with fellow ex-Minneapolis Police Officer J. Alexander Jueng, who received a 36-months sentence.

George Floyd's death at the hands of MNPD officers sparked an outcry from civil rights advocates and a demand for police reform and the way law enforcement officers detain people in their custody.

RELATED: Who is Tou Thao?

On Feb. 24, 2022, following a trial that lasted nearly five weeks, a federal jury in St. Paul, Minnesota, found Thao and Kueng guilty of depriving Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from an officer’s unreasonable force when each willfully failed to intervene to stop former Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) Officer Derek Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force. 

The jury also found that Thao and Kueng deprived Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to serious medical needs when they saw Floyd restrained in police custody in clear need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him. 

The jury further found that both of these offenses resulted in cutting off air to Floyd's lungs resulting in his death. Both offenses are violations of the federal criminal civil rights statute that prohibits willful violations of civil rights by a person, such as a police officer, acting in an official capacity.

The same jury also found former MPD Officer Thomas Lane guilty of the same charges, resulting in bodily injury to Floyd and his death. On July 21, Lane was sentenced to 30 months in prison for this offense.

Former Officer Derek Chauvin previously pleaded guilty to depriving Floyd and a then-14-year-old child of their constitutional rights in violation of the same federal statute. On July 7, Chauvin was sentenced to 252 months in prison for those crimes.

“All four officers involved in the tragic death of George Floyd have now been convicted in federal court, sentenced to prison and held accountable for their crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. 

“George Floyd’s death could have been prevented if these defendants had carried out their affirmative duty to intervene to stop another officer’s use of deadly force. While these defendants have now been held accountable, law enforcement officers and leaders must take seriously the affirmative duty under the Constitution to intervene to stop misconduct by fellow officers and the duty to render medical aid. 

"The federal prosecution of all officers tied to the death of George Floyd should send a clear and powerful message that the Department of Justice will never tolerate the unlawful abuse of power or victimization of Americans by anyone in law enforcement,” said Clarke.

Floyd's agonizing death and his pleas to breathe was ignored by the officers as the scene was videotaped by onlookers. Chauvin kept his knee on the back of Floyd's neck  for more than nine minutes. 

Unlike officers Chauvin, Lane, and Keung, Thao didn’t physically touch George Floyd during the fatal incident. Thao instead interacted with the growing number of eyewitnesses. He’s seen in the viral video instructing onlookers to “get back on the sidewalk” while the three other officers pressed George Floyd down to the ground.

The recording of Floyd's last minutes went viral, sparking massive protests across the world and reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement. The incident and public outrage resulted in bans on the chokeholds often used by police officers to restrain suspects.

Thao spoke for more than 20 minutes at his sentencing hearing during which he frequently quoting scripture as he said his arrest and time in jail led him to turn toward God, according to sources in attendance. However, he did not directly address his actions or offer any apologies to the Floyd family. Thao — like Lane and Kueng — remains free on bond awaiting a state trial, but spent several weeks in jail after his 2020 arrest on the state charges.

Judge Magnuson noted the slew of letters supporting the former officer, including one that he said had 744 signatures, and cited what he called Thao’s “completely clean record.”

“You had a difficult childhood and have done well to become a good police officer, father and husband,” the judge said.

The ex-officers still will face another trial under state charges.

Both men are due to report to federal prison on Oct. 4, though Magnuson noted that could change because of their upcoming state trial. Magnuson said he would recommend that they be allowed to serve their time at minimum-security federal facilities in Duluth or in Yankton, South Dakota, so they could be near family. The final decision is up to the Bureau of Prisons.

“Former officers Thao and Kueng each had an individual duty and opportunity to intervene in the excessive force that resulted in the agonizing death of Mr. Floyd, but both men failed to take any action,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota. 

“These sentences reaffirm that every law enforcement officer, whether rookie or senior, has an affirmative duty to protect individuals in their custody.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Hmong American ex-police officer convicted in allowing George Floyd to die

Former officer Tou Thao was found guilty in the death of George Floyd.

The Hmong American ex-police officer involved with the murder of George Floyd was found guilty Thursday.

Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao ignored bystanders who pleaded for someone to help George Floyd as Derek Chauvin knelt on him, according to prosecutors.

Thao, along with former officers J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane were convicted of violating George Floyd’s civil rights after they failed to get medical attention for him as Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck, ending his life.

"Today's guilty verdicts should serve as the guiding example of why police departments across America should expand and prioritize instruction on an officer's duty to intervene and recognize when a fellow officer is using excessive force," wrote the George Floyd legal team in a statement Thursday. 

"With that being said, the existing policies were not on trial; rather, on trial were the human beings present when the breath was taken from an unarmed man right in front of them," continued the statement.

In closing arguments on Tuesday — part of a month-long federal trial — prosecutors concluded that Thao, and the other two former police officers, “chose to do nothing” in the during Floyd’s plight, which eventually led to his death on May 25, 2020.

All three former officers were charged with “depriving Floyd of his right to medical care,” according to the Associated Press. Additionally, Thao and Kueng were charged with “failing to intervene to stop Derek Chauvin,” who was convicted of Floyd’s murder last April.

While Thao did not physically restrain the 46-year old Floyd, he kept bystanders away and ignonred their pleas to allow Floyd to get off the ground. Thao watched as Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck, prosecutors said. Chauvin, who was a more senior officer, was sentenced to 22 years and six months last June.

Floyd's nine-minute ordeal leading to his death was captured by a bystander's video spurring protests around the world calling for justice and police reform .

Sentencing on the civil rights convictions for Kueng, Lane and Thao will take place at a later date.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Say their names: Number of Filipino Americans who have died at the hads of police is shocking

OPINION

It was the video of George Floyd that allowed America to watch a man gasp his last breathe that spurred a summer of demonstrations and calls for police reform and even "defund" law enforcement.

Floyd's death also reminded America of other African Americans who died at the hands of the police, starting with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dion Johnson, and so many more.

Now we can add the names of Filipino Americans Laudemer Arboleda, Warren Ragudo, Bernie Villegas,  AJ Devillena, Mharloun Vverdejo Saycon, Mylene de Leon, and the latest victim, Angelo Quinto.

EJR David and Kevin Nadal wrote an article in Medium about the race-based violence and the death of Quinto who died after an Antioch, CA police officer placed his knee on his neck, the same technique that killed George Floyd. The authors compiled the list of Filipino American victims of recent police violence.

They wrote:

"Recent examples include 33 year-old Laudemer Arboleda, whose “suspiciousness” caused Danville, CA residents to call 911. Though he was not engaging in any criminal activity, nor was he armed, police chased him and shot him while in his car without any verbal warning. Warren Ragudo was a 34 year-old man in Daly City, CA, whose family called 911 after he began acting strangely. Upon using a taser gun on him twice, Ragudo stopped breathing and died. Family members say the officers did not even perform CPR on him. In Anaheim, CA, 36 year-old Bernie Villegas was killed by police after reports of a “suspected drug dealer” wielding a shotgun; after killing him, it was discovered that Villegas was carrying a BB gun. Then there were AJ Devillena (a 22 year-old war veteran in Palm Springs, CA) — who was believed to be drunk — and Mharloun Verdejo Saycon (a 39 year-old in Long Beach, CA) — a person diagnosed with schizophrenia described as “acting erratically” — who were both shot and killed by police officers. There was also Mylene de Leon Scott, a 38 year-old Filipina American from Virginia who was shot by police after her coworkers called 911 for her “strange” behavior."

This blog wrote about some of their individual deaths and other news outlets wrote about the incidents that caused their deaths. However, when put together in one paragraph, it becomes evident that Filipino Americans have become victimized by police force much in the way African Americans have been telling us for -- well, for centuries.

Perhaps, because the Filipino victims are Asians, no one, -- mainstream media, included, -- could believe police were acting out their racial biases when they confront the Filipino Americans.

I hate to say racism may be behind the way Antioch police responded to Quinto's crisis, or the fact it took a month before APD issued a press release about Quinto's death, or that it has been almost three months and no cause of death has been determined. But can we be blamed for wondering? 

I want to thank David and Nadal for putting the names of the Filipino American victims of police violence together. Individually, their stories are sad for family, friends and coworkers. But when listed together, it's shocking and should ring alarm bells with all AAPI communities.

Is their something more sinister at play?

Critics might say using the the "race card" in these incidents is an overreaction. Use of the term "race card" is a way of minimalizing very real concerns and pain.

Seeing the names of the Filipino American victims of police violence should make AAPI see the parallels with the Black Lives Matter movement. In fact, as the surge in anti-Asian hate incidents have shown, we have plenty in common with Black Lives Matter and more reason to strengthen the bonds between communities of color. 

Sunday Read: Pulitzer Prize author ponders Tou Thao and the place Asian Americans hold in the U.S.

I'm taking a break from usual weekly attempt at relevance by linking the reader to another site. Sorry, about that.

Many of us here on social media rarely take the time to read OG "content creators" such as Time magazine and local newspapers. I found the Time magazine essay -- Asian Americans Are Still Caught in the Trap of the ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype. And It Creates Inequality for All -- so thoughtful that I want to share it with you.

Viet Thanh Nguyen, who won the 2016 Pulitzer for Fiction for his novel "The Sympathizer," is just a damn good writer. In the July 6 edition of Time, a couple of days after Independence Day, he writes:

"The face of Tou Thao haunts me. The Hmong-American police officer stood with his back turned to Derek Chauvin, his partner, as Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and murdered him.

"In the video that I saw, Tou Thao is in the foreground and Chauvin is partly visible in the background, George Floyd’s head pressed to the ground. Bystanders beg Tou Thao to do something, because George Floyd was not moving, and as he himself said, he could not breathe.

"The face of Tou Thao is like mine and not like mine, although the face of George Floyd is like mine and not like mine too. Racism makes us focus on the differences in our faces rather than our similarities, and in the alchemical experiment of the U.S., racial difference mixes with labor exploitation to produce an explosive mix of profit and atrocity. In response to endemic American racism, those of us who have been racially stigmatized cohere around our racial difference. We take what white people hate about us, and we convert stigmata into pride, community and power. So it is that Tou Thao and I are “Asian Americans,” because we are both “Asian,” which is better than being an “Oriental” or a “gook.” If being an Oriental gets us mocked and being a gook can get us killed, being an Asian American might save us. Our strength in numbers, in solidarity across our many differences of language, ethnicity, culture, religion, national ancestry and more, is the basis of being Asian American.

He continues, writing about his immigrant parents and their struggles to attain what they believed was the American dream in San Jose, which before the rise of Silicon Valley, was like many urban downtowns, was a downtrodden ghost town devoid of live and entrepreneurial activity. 

Nguyen was able to bring together all the political, social and economic viruses creating havoc through our country 

"If we are dissatisfied with our country’s failures and limitations, revealed to us in stark clarity during the time of coronavirus, then now is our time to change our country for the better. If you think America is in trouble, blame shareholders, not immigrants; look at CEOs, not foreigners; resent corporations, not minorities; yell at politicians of both parties, not the weak, who have little in the way of power or wealth to share."

He goes on to write about our Asian American identity, the model minority and where we fit in the melange of a multi-hued America.

It's a damn good read and one that we can spend a many hours pondering. If you want to read the entire essay, click here.

Excellent writer that he is, Nguyen doesn't give a nice answer neatly wrapped with a bow to the questions he raises. That answer lies within each of us.

Sandra Oh wears her fashionable Emmy jacket in support of Black Lives Matter

INSTAGRAM

Sandra Oh was casual but she got her message across.

Sandra Oh made a subtle fashion/political statement during the Emmy Awards show Sunday night.

Since the awards show was done virtually, there was no traditional red carpet where the stars get to show off their fashion sense, so the Killing Eve star forced herself "to reflect on who I am and how I express myself through clothes,” said Oh, who was nominated in the category of Best Actress in a Drama Series.

In case you missed it, she wore a purple bomber jacket with matching face mask that had Korean script supporting Black Lives Matter.

“After George Floyd’s death and the protests that followed, I felt that as an Asian-American, a Korean-American person, I wanted to express my support for the Black community in a way that felt personal to my community,” she told British Vogue.

“Then, a playwright friend of mine sent me this local LA brand, KORELIMITED, by the designer Matthew Kim, who had done a line of T-shirts and hoodies to support Black Lives Matter. Even though it’s really different from what you would normally wear on a red carpet.”

The script on the bomber jacket translates “Black Lives Are Precious” because “Black Lives Matter” is not directly translatable in Korean. The dashes are a nod to the Korean flag. And the color, royal purple, carries meaning for both the Korean and Black communities. It’s “super Korean”, Oh said. The use of purple in Black Panther (vibranium is purple, derived from the purple “heart-shaped herb”, reserved for the Wakandan ruler and their family, fitting because the color symbolizes royalty and power).

Oh did her own hair, braided in a traditional folklore style.

As expected, some of the winners used their acceptance speeches t make political statements on behalf of Black Lives Matter and calls for people to register to vote.

With the country undergoing a tumultuous time politically and culturally, Oh said, “This is the moment to wear fashion that’s important and sends the right message.” 

Custom versions of Oh’s jacket are available for purchase via KORELIMITED, with a portion of the proceeds going to her chosen charities: Campaign Zero and Black Girls Code. 

Injury forces Naomi Osaka to withdraw from the French Open.

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Naomi Osaka and her boyfriend YBN Cordae right after capturing the U.S. Open title.

Naomi Osaka will not be competing in the French Open that starts Sept. 27. Fresh from her impressive victory at the U.S. Open, the No. 3 ranked player said she needed time to fully heal from a hamstring injury that nagged her throughout the U.S. Open.

"Unfortunately I won't be able to play the French Open this year," she wrote on social media. "My hamstring is still sore so I won't have enough time to prepare for the clay -- these 2 tournaments came too close to each other for me this time. I wish the organizers and players all the best."

Osaka injured her hamstring while playing the Western & Southern Open, just prior to the U.S. Open, when she played with a wrapped upper thigh. Playing on the clay courts of the French Open, where players tend to slip and slide, could make her injury worse.

While playing in the U.S. Open, Osaka also received attention and praise for her activism and commitment to social justice. With the hope of raising awareness of the judicial inequities and the deaths of unarmed Blacks at the hands of police and vigilantes.

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Naomi Osaka, who plays for Japan, celebrates her mixed heritage (Haitian-Japanese) in photo. session after her U.S. Open victory.

Meanwhile, Osaka, now ranked No. 3 in the world, received some unwanted publicity, While taking celebratory post-match pictures with her boyfriend, rapper YBN Cordae, at the U.S. Open, he kept flipping his middle finger at the camera. 

Fans and fellow players were quick to blast the rapper's "bizarre" behavior for tainting Osaka's accomplishments. One supporter said: "Naomi Osaka wins the US Open and her boyfriend makes it all about him. Show some class." Some fans defended the couple for reacting to the racist messages Osaka received for speaking out against racial injustice.

District Attorney resigns, protests unbiased outcome of Trump's Commission on Law Enforcement

District Attorney John Choi

An Asian American prosecutor has resigned from Donald Trump's presidential commission on law enforcement because he felt the commission was promoting a predetermined agenda.

Ramsey County, Minnesota, District Attorney John Choi, has resigned from Donald Trump’s presidential commission on law enforcement over concerns the commission was promoting a predetermined agenda instead of bridging the gap between communities of color and law enforcement.

Choi sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr outlining his concerns. He wrote that the commission was ignoring the lessons of the past, and “needed to listen to those who have been negatively impacted by policing and the criminal justice system,” according to HuffPost.

“Rather than examine how decades of over-policing in communities of color have created the deficit of trust, the Commission was instead encouraged to study ‘underenforcement’ of criminal laws and ‘refusals by State and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes’,” said Choi.

The Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice was formed in late 2019, and Trump ordered the group to issue a report within one year, a deadline that is a few days before the 2020 presidential election.

However, the commission is composed predominantly by members of law enforcement, calling into question their impartiality.

Choi, a Democrat, said in his resignation letter that "it is now patently obvious ... that this process had no intention of engaging in a thoughtful and open analysis, but was intent on providing cover for a predetermined agenda that ignores the lessons of the past, furthering failed tough-on-crime policies that led to our current mass incarceration crisis and fueling divisions between our communities and our police officers."

Naomi Osaka wins the U.S. Open for a second time; Tamir Rice remembered by the champ

Naomi Osaka won the U.S. Open finals in a a come from behind contest but her win on the court wasn't the only victory she enjoyed. 

By making it to the finals, she got to wear her seventh and final mask calling attention to the killings of unarmed Blacks by police and so-called vigilantes. The mask bore the name of Tamir Rice, who was just 12 years old when he was shot at a park in Cleveland, Ohio, by Officer Timothy Loehmann on Nov. 22, 2014. Rice died the following day.

Loehmann was fired for shooting the youngster but not charged for the killing Tamire who had a toy gun in a public park.

Other names printed on Osaka’s U.S. Open masks worn in earlier matches were Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Philando Castile.

RELATED: Osaka talks about her campaign against social injustice

Before the U.S. Open, Osaka said its was sad that her seven masks were not enough for the number of victims killed by police and other white vigilantes who feared Black people.

After her win over Victoria Azarenko, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the toughest match she faced in the Open, she was asked if her crusade was effective. 

Osaka responded:"Well, ‘What was the message that you got?’ was more the question. I feel like the point is to make people start talking. 

“I’ve been inside of the bubble, so I’m not really sure what’s really going on in the outside world," she said. "All I can tell is what’s going on is on social media. And for me, I feel like the more retweets it gets — that’s so lame, but the more people talk about it.”

Osaka's third Grand Slam victory didn't come easy. She had to come from behind after losing the first set 1-6. The next two sets were closer than the scores indicated, marked by numerous ads and several game breaks by both players.

In their third set, Osaka was ahead 4-1 and had several chances to close out the set but Azarenko kept fighting back. It was 4-3 before Osaka could win another game.

Osaka won the U.S. Open in 2018 in an upset victory over Serena Williams. She later won the Australian Open and was ranked No. 1 for several months after losing several minor tournaments and a change of coaches.

Naomi Osaka's second U.S. Open title is her third Grand Slam title.

Naomi Osaka will wear her 7th mask remembering victims of racial injustice as she qualifies for the U.S. Open finals

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Enroute to her semi-final victory, Naomi Osaka wore a mask with Philando Castile's name.

It took three hard-fought sets but Naomi Osaka fought off Jennifer Brady, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, to advance to the finals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and she gets another chance to wear her final face-mask bringing the nation's attention to racial injustice.

Osaka, ranked No. 4, throughout the tournament has been wearing face-masks with the names of African Americans who died at the hands of police or self-anointed vigilantes. Friday, her mask had the name of Philando Castile, 29, who was shot dead by an officer during a routine traffic stop in St. Anthony, Minnesota.

Castile, who warned the officer he had a license for a firearm, was shot as he reached for an ID, according to his girlfriend who was in the car with him. Officer Jeronimo Yanez was later found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter and also acquitted of two counts of intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety. However, he was fired from the St. Antony Police Dept.

Osaka had seven masks made for the U.S. Open, enough, she said, to reach the finals. In the women's final Saturday, she will wear her seventh mask when she enters the Arthur Ash court in Queens, New York City to play against 25-year old Victoria Azarenka, who beat 3rd-ranked Serena WIlliams, 39, Friday evening, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.

The normally shy and reticent Osaka is using her social media platform and her celebrity status to remind her fans of those African Americans who had died unjustly in recent years.

The week before the U.S. Open, she joined other professional athletes who boycotted play by temporarily withdrawing from the Western & Southern Open, a warmup to the U.S. Open As a result, the entire tournament paused for a day before returning to play a day later.

She returns to center court, two years after she upset Williams on the same court to win her first Grand Slam tournament. A few months later, she won the Australian Open and gained No. 1 ranking for a few months before relinquishing the title.

Despite her drop in ranking, the 22-year old, playing for Japan where she was born, is now tennis' highest-paid women's player.

Osaka appears to be maturing and finding her independent voice and is no longer to speak out. In another sign of independence, she has moved from Boca Raton, Florida where her family lives to Los Angeles where she lives with rapper YBN Cordae. 

She and Cordae traveled to Minneapolis and joined the protests last June in the wake of the killing of another African American man, George Floyd, while he was being arrested. Osaka wore George Floyd's name on her mask Tuesday in her quarter-finals match.

"I'm not sure what the world would look like if everything was peaceful, but I would hope that people help each other in times of great need," she told CNN Sports. "I would also hope that the older generation isn't scared to help the younger generation. For me, the biggest thing is I don't want people younger than me to suffer through the things I have to suffer through." 

Naomi Osaka talks about about why she's speaking out; qualifies for the U.S. Open's semifinals;

"Being 'not racist' is not enough. We have to be anti-racist."

--NAOMI OSAKA

Without telling anybody -- not even her agent-manager or coach -- Naomi Osaka went to Minneapolis to join the demonstrations caused by the death of George Floyd. She went  with her boyfriend, the musician and rapper YBN Cordae. 

“Whenever I have a chance to see something for myself, I jump on it,” Osaka, told the Wall St. Journal. “I’ve always watched protests on TV, and I never had the chance to go because I was always playing tennis.”

Marching with the protesters and listening to the speakers, it was the first time she had taken a break from playing tennis since she began training at a very young age, she says.

“Everyone was so passionate,” Osaka tells the Journal. “There were constantly things going on and people talking to each other about who’s organizing this rally and things like that. I thought it was really powerful.”

What she learned from those few days in Minneapolis: "Being 'not racist' is not enough. We have to be anti-racist."

Floyd's May 25 death while being arrested was videotaped by onlookers to the point Floyd, a Black man, lost consciousness from having a policeman's knee pinning him by the neck. His death and the viral video re-energized the Black Lives Matter movement and sparked worldwide demonstrations against racial injustice that continues to this day and has become an issue in the 2020 Presidential race.

Tuesday (Sept. 8), before and after her match at the U.S. Open, she wore a face mask with George Floyd's name on it. It's the fifth mask she's worn during the tournament. She has two more masks to wear -- enough to reach the finals.

She beat Shelby Rogers, 6-3, 6-4, in the quarterfinals, an opponent she has never beaten in their three previous encounters. Osaka's win at the U.S. Open sets up a semifinal match against Jennifer Brady, 25, from Pennsylvania.

In keeping with the COVID-19 social distance protocols, the tourney is being played without fans in attendance.

In interviews after her match with Rogers, she was visibly moved talking about her personal demonstration to bring attention to the deaths of African Americans, which she says, "didn't have to happen."

She had received messages from the families of Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery, two of the names stenciled on masks that she wore in her earlier matches. She also wore masks with Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain.

"I don't know. I feel like I'm a vessel, at this point, and in order to spread awareness and, hopefully, it's not going to dull the pain, but hopefully I can, you know, help with anything that they need," said Osaka.

"It means a lot; I feel like they're so strong, I'm not sure what I would be able to do if I was in their position," she said when talking about the families.

In an August article for Esquire, Osaka writes why she's decided to use her platform for the cause of social justice.

In the past few months, I’ve re-evaluated what’s actually important in my life. It’s a reset that perhaps I greatly needed. I asked myself, “If I couldn’t play tennis, what could I be doing to make a difference?” I decided it was time to speak up...for every George, there is a Brionna, a Michael, a Rayshard. The sad list goes on. That’s just the tragedies captured on camera. I remember watching the outrage at Michael Brown’s case in 2014, and nothing has really changed since. Black people have been fighting this oppression alone for so many years and progress has been fleeting at best. Being “not racist” is not enough. We have to be anti-racist.

Osaka will play Brady in semi-final match on the US Open courts in Queens, New York City on Thursday, Sept.10.

U.S. Open: Naomi Osaka continues to win and deliver her message

Naomi Osaka has a point to make at the U.S. Open.

Sunday, Naomi Osaka continued her campaign to bring attention to racial injustice by walking onto the court wearing a mask with Trayvon Martin's name stenciled on it. Then she played some tennis at the U.S. Open.

"I remember Trayvon’s death clearly," Osaka tweeted. "I remember being a kid and just feeling scared.I know his death wasn’t the first but for me it was the one that opened my eyes to what was going on. To see the same things happening over and over still is sad. Things have to change."

On February 26, 2012, Martin, an African American teen walking home from a trip to a convenience store, was shot dead by George Zimmerman, a Neighborhood Watch volunteer taken to patrolling the neighborhood of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida.

After calling police and ignoring orders not to engage Martin, Zimmerman later claimed to have shot the unarmed 17-year-old out of self-defense during a physical altercation.

When police initially opted not to arrest Zimmerman, the case sparked nationwide protests and ignited national debates about racial profiling and self-defense laws. Zimmerman later was charged with second-degree murder; following a high-profile trial that riveted America, he was acquitted of the charges against him.

Osaka won her match against 14th seed Anett Kontaveit in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Playing for Japan, Osaka moves on to the quarterfinals to meet the United States' Shelby Rogers on Tuesday (Sept. 8).

She won the U.S. Open in 2018 by beating the ten-champion Serena Williams. For a few months, she was ranked No. 1 in the world and has become the highest paid women's tennis player.

Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese descent, had to become a Japanese citizen and chose to represent Japan in international play even though she grew up in the U.S. and continues to live and train in Florida.

The 22-year old Osaka, who plays for Japan, is waging a one-woman campaign to bring attention to racial injustice. She had masks made with the names of African Americans who were killed recently. Besides Trayvon Martin, the three earlier masks that he wore bore the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. She made seven masks; enough to reach the finals if she wins the next two matches.

US Open: Osaka moves on to top 16 after doning third mask for Ahmaud Arbery;

 

Naomi Osaka has worn three masks at the US Open. Four to go.

In the third round of the 2020 US Open, Naomi Osaka made viewers and the media remember Ahmaud Arbery, who was jogging in a South Georgia neighborhood when he was chased and killed by self-anointed vigilantes.

Osaka, has a mask for every match that features an African American who was killed by police or -- as in Aubeery's case --- by residents of Santilla Shores, Georgia,, who thought he was suspicious.

Osaka, of Haitian and Japanese heritage, has vowed to use her platform as a professional athlete to call atttentionto the systemic racial injustice that led to the deaths of African Americans. In the first two days of the US Open, Osaka's masks bore the names of Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain.

Last week, she staged a one-day walkout of the Southern & Western Open, eventually bowing out of the finals due to a hamstring injury.

Her protest led to the entire tournament pausing for a day before resuming play.

“(B)efore I am an athlete, I am a black woman,” she wrote on Twitter. “... I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis ... Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.”

“I’m proud of her,” tennis legend Billie Jean King told USA TODAY Sports in an email. “Naomi has chosen to use her platform and use it as a catalyst for change. She is a leader among today’s athletes – men and women – and she is speaking from her heart and her mind. It’s inspiring to watch a young leader step to the front and help humanity.”

Representing Japan even though she was raised in the U.S. and trains and lives in Florida, Osaka joined other professional athletes last week who boycotted their scheduled games to point out the need for police reform and for racial equity, aparked by the videotaped killing of George Floyd when police were arresting him.

In the third round, Osaka had a hard-fought match with 18-year-old Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, who forced the match to three sets, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.

With her win, Osaka advances to the round of the final 16 Sunday to face Estonia's Anett Kontaveit, who beat Magda Linette Friday, 6-3, 6-2.

Osaka, 22, says in preparation for the tourney, she had seven masks made, enough masks to go the finals if she wins the remainder of her matches.

While jogging, Arbery was fatally shot by two men, Gregory McMichael and his son Travis, who lived in the neighborhood. At first no arrests were made but only after a video of the chase and killing went viral and prompted widespread outrage and an investigation by state authorities, the two were arrested and charged for a homicide and aggravated assault in the killing of Arbery.

“None of these deaths had to happen," tweeted Osaka. "I want people to know the names.”

Naomi Osaka cruises in US Open; wears mask remembering slain Elijah McClain

Naomi Osaka wore the mask as she entered the court and put it back on aafter the matach

If Naomi Osaka continues to play at the US Open like she did Wednesday, she might have a chance to wear all seven masks that have the names of African Americans who died while in being arrested by police.

Wednesday, her mask had the name of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Colorado man who died when police administered a choke-hold that cuts off blood flow and after an EMT gave him a shot to calm him down. 

Police had stopped him as he walked home from a convenience store. He had not commit any crime. A resident's 911 call reported him as suspicious.

“When I heard about his story it was very hurtful,” Osaka explained when asked by reporters.  

“I still don’t think his name is very put out there compared to, like, George Floyd or Breonna Taylor. For me, today was very special in the way that I wanted to represent him very well,” she said.

In the US Open's second round, Osaka easily dispatched Italy's Camila Giorgi, 6-1, 6-2 in a game that featured hard volleying from the baseline, a style that hard-hitting Osaka prefers.

“I definitely played, I think, the best out of the two weeks that I’ve been here today,” said the 4th-ranked Osaka.

WIth her win, Osaka advances to the 3rd round against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, currently raned 137th in the world. They will meet Friday, Sept. 3.

The 22-year old tennis star began her demonstrations of support for the police killings of unarmed black people last week when she announced she would withdraw from the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open at the same tennis complex as the US Open is being held.

Her withdrawal was inspired by the boycott by players in the NBA, WNBA and MLB and later joined by the National Hockey League.

She said has seven masks prepared for the US Open. In the first round match, she wore a mask with the name of Breonna Taylor, who was shot dead in her own apartment by police.

Osaka said that its too bad her seven masks isn't enough to list all the deaths of back people at the hands of the police.

Naomi Osaka wins first round match at U.S. Open - in her own style

SCREEN CAPTURE

Naomi Osaka wore a mask during warm-ups but took it off during play.

Naomi Osaka arrived at the U.S. Open for her opening-round match on Monday wearing a black facemask with Breonna Taylor's name in white letters. honoring the former Louisville EMT who was shot and killed by police while she was sleeping in her apartment earlier this year.

"I'm aware that tennis is watched all over the world, and maybe there is someone that doesn't know Breonna Taylor's story," Osaka told reporters. "Maybe they'll like Google it or something. For me, just spreading awareness. I feel like the more people know the story, then the more interesting or interested they'll become in it."

The 4th-ranked tenni player beat Misaki Doi 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, although not fully  recovered from a hamstring injury she suffered in Friday's semi-final match at the Western & Southern Open.

During the Western & Southern tourney, she withdrew on Wednesday as other professional athletes in the NBA, MLB, and WNBA refused to play in protest of the police and vigilante violence against demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Tourney officials decided to halt all matches on Thursday in support of the athletes but resumed play on Friday.

The 22-year old player, who was ranked No. 1 two years ago, said she brought seven masks, -- enough to reach the finals.

Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese descent, plays for Japan where she was born  though she lives and trains in the U.S.Her decision to withdraw from last week's tournament was her way to protest the “continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police.”

Her next opponent is Italy’s Camila Giorgi, who she'll play Wednesday (Sept. 2).

Naomi Osaka withdraws from tourney finals; expresses no regrets for her earlier social justice protest

Naomi Osaka walks onto the court wearing a mask, headphones and a Black Live Matter shirt.

UPDATED Aug. 29 10 a.m. to include Naomi Osaka's injury and withdrawal.

When Naomi Osaka walked onto the court Friday, she wore a Black Lives Matter shirt with a raised fist on the front. She removed the t-shirt before she began play in the semi-finals at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at peace with her protest against racial injustice.

She fought her way  to Friday's women's singles final while garnering more attention because of her temporary withdrawal Thursday, has withdrawn from Saturday's championship match, citing a hamstring injury suffered in her semifinal.

Because of Osaka's withdrawal, former No. 1-ranked Victoria Azarenka was declared champion. 

"I'm sorry to have to withdraw today with an injury," Osaka said in a statement Saturday morning. "I pulled my left hamstring yesterday in the second set tiebreak and it has not recovered overnight as I had hoped. This has been an emotional week and I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support."

Osaka's injury draws into question whether she will play in next week's U.S. Open, which begins Monday. Hamstring injuries take a long time to heal.

Osaka qualified for the finals by beating Elise Mertens, 6-2 and 7-6, after a near sleepless night after announcing her intention to withdraw from the tournament because of the shooting of another Black man, Jacob Blake. Her announcement forced the tournament officials to pause the entire tourney for day and allowed Osaka to reconsider her withdrawal.

“I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent,” Osaka said.

Osaka's action drew strong support from tennis legends.

"I am very proud of everyone in tennis for stepping up and I am very proud of sports for leading in these challenging times.," Billie Jean King told Tennis.com. 

"It is so important and energizing to see the men and women together on this issue and to show the world we are in this together. We can never let up. We have a platform, we are visible and we must keep the pedal to the metal to keep fighting for equality and justice. Through the opportunities presented to us in sports, we can move the needle and we can bring about change. We have to do this. 

King's contemporary and chief rival, Martina Navratolova agreed.

“I can’t say enough good things about Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. They have the power to really impact the world off the court, thanks to their on-court exploits. I think they’re going to use it and magnify it. Of course, so much of this is being driven by the players who are affected by it. This is a great step forward in social justice,” she told Tennis.com.

After her win over Mertens, Osaka said,  "I felt like I needed to raise my voice. And if withdrawing would cause the most stir that was something I would have to do."

Osaka decided after her quarterfinal win over Anett Kontavelt Wednesday, she made the decision not to play on Thursday.

"I didn't even think it would be that big of a deal," Osaka told ESPN's Chris McKendry on Friday. "I thought I would withdraw from the tournament and make a statement, whatever. I always thought in my mind it would be nice if someone started something in tennis. I was just waiting and waiting, then realized maybe I would have to be the one to take the first step."

"Honestly, when I posted it [the original statement], I just thought it would make rounds in the tennis circle," Osaka said. "So if I'm being completely honest, it was a bit frightening for me, and I had to turn off my phone because I get really anxious whenever I see people talking about me."

“As a fellow Black woman, I’m really proud of Naomi stepping up and stating her position," said Katrina Adams, sports analyst and former USTA president. 

"The world doesn’t realize how difficult it is to be a Black tennis player in a predominantly white sport. These players are getting abused daily on social media because of the color of their skin. I applaud Naomi for making her statement," she told Tennis.com

Pro-sports returning as athletes score a strong point for racial justice

Before deciding to postpone the playoffs, the NHL sported this message with a moment of silence.

After minority players sent a letter to the National Hockey League, the league postponed the Stanley Cup playoff games Thursday and also tonight (Aug. 28).

The NHL joined other professional sports leagues in protesting social injustices that are happening in the country. The Stanley Cup playoffs will resume Saturday.

The NHL decision came after it received a letter from the Hockey Diversity Alliance, composed of hockey players of color. The HDA tweeted:

“We the @TheOfficialHDA have formally requested the @NHL to suspend all playoff games today. We strongly feel this sends a clear message that human rights take priority over sports.”

"This must be clear! This is not a league mandated action this has been solely driven by its PLAYERS and damn I’m proud to stand with them!" said Matt Dumba, the sole Filipino Canadian playing in the NHL and co-founder of the Hockey Diversity Alliance.

“It makes me so proud to be an NHL player and see that this is player-driven action,” tweeted Dumba, a wingman for the Minnesota Wild, which are in the playoffs.

The action involves all eight remaining teams — scheduled for Thursday and Friday night. At deadline, no announcement was made i how and when the games will be made up.

Founded in June of 2020, the Hockey Diversity Alliance seeks to “eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey.” It aims to not only improve race relations in hockey now, but clean up the sport for future generations to ensure the sport is more accessible and inclusive to everyone.

RELATED: Brooklyn Nets owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai pledge $50-million to a social justice fund.

The protest by professional athletes began when the Minnesota Timberwolves said they would not play in a Wednesday night playoff game against the Orlando Magic. That sparked a players meeting in the NBA's "bubble" in Orlando, Fla. where teams have been isolated to play out a semblance of a season. The athletes decided to not play. Since then, the players negotiated with the league to resume the playoff schedule beginning Saturday.

The Women's National Basketball League followed suit in suspending play.

The NBA action spurred players in other sports to similar action. Most scheduled games in Major League Baseball were not played Wednesday and some teams continued the strike Thursday. By Friday, all MLB games had resumed.

Naomi Osaka, who made the semifinals in the Western & Southern Open, withdrew from the tournament Wednesday will be returning to the court Friday. 

“Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.” said Osaka, whose father is from Haiti.

Naomi Osaka sat out Thursday in her tournament but is returning to the court Friday.

In response, tournament suspended all matches on Thursday and released this statement: “As a sport, tennis is collectively taking a stance against racial inequality and social injustice that once again has been thrust into the forefront in the United States.” Play is resuming on Friday.

By Thursday afternoon, Osaka told The Guardian, "I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent. 

"However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the Tournament for their support."

The demonstrations by the athletes, while it might not have accomplished much in terms of lasting reform, used their popular platforms to bring attention to the racial injustice and need for police reform in the U.S. after police in Kenosha, Wis. shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back seven times as he was getting into his car. Blake is recovering but is paralyzed, said his father.

The Kenosha incident was the latest in a long list of examples of police using excessive force against Blacks, in particular. 

The straw that broke the camel's back for many athletes of color occurred Tuesday evening when a white teenager shot and killed two demonstrators, then proceeded to walk through police lines, who allowed him to walk away from the scene without incident. Hours later, 17-year old Kyle Riddenhouse was arrested and charged with first-degree homicide.

The forceful treatment of Blacks by police, exemplified by the videotaped killing George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, gave impetus to a -- thus-far -- summer-long series of demonstrations across the country against the excessive response of police and a call for reform.

AAPI athletes swept up in protests in professional sports over latest shootings

TWITTER

Naomi Osaka decided to sit out the rest of a tennis tournament.

In an unprecedented historic action, America's professional athletes scored major points yesterday in protest of police actions in Kenosha, Wisconsin specifically, and the urgent need for police reform.

With the player-initiated cancellation of games in the National Basketball League and Major League Baseball, athletes let it be known collectively at that "enough is enough" after Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot in the back seven times last Sunday and a self-anointed white vigilante fatally shot two demonstrators and  allowed to walk away unimpeded by police.

UPDATE, Aug. 27, 10:30 a.m.: Players will resume playing Thursday in the NBA and MLB.

What sparked the game cancellations was when a 17-year old with a rifle fired at a crowd of demonstrators, killing two and wounding another on Tuesday. Kenosha police a block away allowed the teenager to walk away from the shooting, not detaining him or taking away his weapon even as witnesses shouted out that he was the shooteer. 

The teenager, identified as Kyle Rittenhouse, wasn't arrested until early Wednesday. He faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge in Kenosha County but is currently jailed in Lake County, Illinois, and has been charged there as a fugitive from justice. His extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The concern of racial justice affected players of color in the white-dominated sports of tennis and hockey.

Although Naomi Osaka, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, reached the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday, she decided to withdraw in a call for racial justice. 

“I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport, I consider that a step in the right direction,” she wrote. “Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.

Although she had to declare herself as a citizen of Japan, she was raised in the U.S. and as the daughter of Japanese mother and Haitian father, was clearly troubled with the latest shootings and the state of race relations in the U.S. After her withdrawal, she drew quick support from other players. The tournament paused play for the rest of the day.

“As a sport, tennis is collectively taking a stance against racial inequality and social injustice that once again has been thrust to the forefront in the United States. The (U.S. Tennis Association), ATP Tour and WTA have decided to recognize this moment in time by pausing tournament play at the Western & Southern Open on Thursday, Aug. 27,” the three organizations said in a statement.

FACEBOOK / MATT DUMBA

Hockey player Matt Dumba regularly raises a fist during the playing of the national anthem.

The National Hockey League decided to play its games Wednesday, much to the consternation of the only Filipino American in the National Hockey League.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, a founding member of the player-based Hockey Diversity Alliance, was disappointed in the NHL for its lack of action on Wednesday when nearly all other professional sports league in the United States halted play in protest. 

“The NHL we’re always late to the party, especially on these topics, so it’s sorta sad and disheartening for me and other members of the HDA, and I’m sure other guys across the league,” Dumba told Sportsnet.

“But if no one stands up and does anything, it’s the same thing — it’s just that silence that you’re just outside looking in on actually being leaders and invoking real change when you have such an opportunity to do so.”

“I hope guys find it in them to stand up,” Dumba said. “You can’t keep coming to the minority players every time there’s a situation like this. The white players in our league need to have answers for what they’re seeing in society right now and where they stand in making a change.”

“What would really make the most impact is to have strong white leaders from teams step up and have their two cents heard,” Dumba said. “All the other white kids who grow up watching them, who might be their biggest fans, can look up and say, ‘Wow. If he’s seeing this, and understanding, and trying to listen, then why am I not as well, and why am I continuing to hold on to this ignorance or hate that I feel towards a subject that I maybe don’t know everything about?'”