UConn player’s Black Lives Matter message goes viral

Christyn Williams is no stranger to popularity. For members of the UConn women’s basketball team, being in the spotlight is expected. But last week Williams used her spotlight in a way to teach others and shed light on issues she is passionate about, not knowing that one social media post, in particular, would go viral.

In light of the recent tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other African Americans who have lost their lives unjustly, the hashtag # BlackLivesMatter is at the forefront of social media activism. “Black lives matter” is a seemingly simple phrase, but it has encountered some heat by those who respond with “All lives matter.”

Last week Williams posted a simple video on her social media accounts with an analogy illustrating why saying “all lives matter” in response to “black lives matter” is wrong.

The video is a TikTok trend, depicting two houses — one on fire and one unscathed. It was important to Williams to use the illustration because this simple analogy had the opportunity to give her viewers a new perspective on why the “all lives matter” response is contributing to a larger problem, she says.

“We are not saying that only black lives matter, nor are we saying that all lives don’t matter. That’s not what we’re saying,” Williams said in a recent phone interview. “When people say, ‘ Black lives matter,’ they’re simply bringing attention to all of the black lives that have either died or endured police brutality, social injustice or even the systemic racism that is in this country. So when you hear people saying, ‘ All lives matter,’ it is repugnant and quite frankly disrespectful to the black community.”

With almost 500,000 views on Twitter and just under 70,000 on Instagram, Williams’ TikTok has gone viral.

Due to the novel coronavirus and social distancing, protesting in the streets is not an ideal situation. But not going out into the world was not going to stop Williams from using her voice and social media following to educate others.

“In order for change to happen, it is our duty to protest, it is our duty to sign petitions, it is our duty to donate, and it is our duty to use our platforms to support our black people that have been subjected to these cruel and unlawful acts of discrimination,” she said.

Williams’ video was met with negative comments online but also just as many that were positive. She even received a direct message from a person stating they had used the term “All lives matter” but after watching Williams’ video, the person’s opinion on the matter changed.

In addition to Williams’ own activism on social media, she says she is proud to be a part of a program that values and supports its players on and off the court. Williams, a junior guard from Little Rock, Arkansas, says she feels 100% supported by UConn’s coaching staff and her teammates.

Williams thought it was important for her team to come together and create a statement of its own. The team released a statement May 31 “speaking out and advocating for our black community and the injustices we face.”

Coach Geno Auriemma said on Twitter, “I’m really proud of my team. Agree or disagree if you like. But having lived through the 60s, it was young people standing up that brought meaningful change.”

After hearing her teammates voice their opinions and emotions, Williams now has a deeper appreciation for them.

“This is a different level of trust. This will build our team camaraderie and our team chemistry just from this alone. I know if she ( referring to her teammates) has my back in real life, so I know she will have my back on the court,” Williams said. “I now have a different level of respect for my coaching staff and my teammates just from coming through this whole situation.”