Timberwolves, Lynx Organization Taking Part In 'Critical Conversation' On Racism, Policing

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx organization is taking part Wednesday in a "critical conversation" concerning systemic racism and policing.

The organization is partnering with the National Urban League and the antiracism nonprofit RISE to hold a discussion that will be streamed live on social media. The talk, entitled "Beyond Justice," is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Participating in the discussion will be Lynx forward Sylvia Fowles and Tru Pettigrew, the Timberwolves vice president of player programs diversity and inclusion.

Also participating will be Mark Moria, the president and CEO of the National Urban League, and Rep. Karen Bass of California, a sponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

According to a press release, the discussion will address systemic racism, actionable steps for achieving equity and ways to improve relations between law enforcement and communities of color.

This discussion, which is taking place less than a week before the anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd, is the first in a planned series of conversations on equity and policing that RISE is hosting with sports teams across the country.

Floyd, a Black man, died on May 25, 2020, after Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes. Last month, a Hennepin County jury found Chauvin, who was fired from the police department, guilty of murder.

Floyd's death sparked protests and riots across the country and an ongoing discussion on racism and policing. Lawmakers at the national and local levels are working to pass reforms and envision new systems of public safety. One of those reforms is the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which passed in the U.S. House and is under review in the Senate.