Duke freshman forward Henry Coleman spoke with the media Monday afternoon and discussed his role in the recent peaceful protest held on the Duke campus last week.
Coleman, who has been noted for his leadership qualities since emerging on the Duke radar as a recruit, has shown his ability to inspire and motivate others in a short time on the Durham campus.
The leadership qualities continue to be on display, and are already serving as a uniting force within the team.
Here is what he had to say
ON HIS REMARKS DURING THE PROTEST - WHAT INSPIRED HIS WORDS AND HIS THOUGHTS ON PARTICIPATING
I thought it was an unbelievable job by Coach K and Coach Nolan what they had set up. But I was just moved to speak for the people that didn’t have a voice. My parents always told me to just use my platform. They always tell me you wouldn’t build a house and not sleep in it. So, I just have to use this platform and continue to talk.
ON WHEN THE TEAM CAME UP TO SUPPORT HIS REMARKS AND IF IT WAS PLANNED
It was not planned. I think it was just those guys being my brothers and being with me. It almost felt like a security blanket. It felt like I had people around me that truly cared and that really filed the message with me.
ON BEING A FRESHMAN AND BEING ONE OF THE LEADERS AND BEING CHOSEN TO SPEAK
It’s just come capabilities that I have always had. I feel like I can lead these guys, but there are other guys on the team that are way more experienced than me that have way more knowledge and I can kind of be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge that they have to give me. But I have those leadership qualities that I will be able to keep voicing and keep leading.
ON HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH COACH K AND NOLAN SMITH AND HOW NOLAN FORMULATED THE PROTEST
Coach K is a guy that is super open. He’s always willing to accept change and be with his players. He tells us that everyday - that he loves us and he’s thankful for us. I just think it’s that common bond that we share with Coach. He’s almost like a father figure to a lot of us. He helps us with a lot of different things on and off the court.
And then with Coach Smith, he’s just a guy that’s super relatable. Always being able to talk to him, bounce ideas off of, whether that be sports, shoes, or the protest. He’s a great guy.
ON EXPERIENCING RACISM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL
My whole life it’s just been micro-aggressions, nothing to a crazy extent, but it’s just that going to the store and having people follow you around, running through the neighborhood and people looking at you a certain way. It’s that constant feeling you going out the door everyday - will I make it home. It’s just something you have to live with and a lot of people, a lot of African Americans around this country have to live with.
ON LEADERSHIP AND TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN OFF THE COURT
It’s something that I hope to do. When I’m given the opportunity I will use my voice and use my platform. But it’s something I look forward to doing and continuing to do beyond Duke. Going to that regular world feeling, just using your voice, whether or not I’m in the NBA or I’m in any other field continuing to use my voice.
ON CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS PARENTS
It’s just those talks a lot of people, African Americans specifically have to have that you can’t go down the street with your music all loud, you can’t wear this certain type of clothing to this certain type of event, it’s just persona. You have to kind of get used to. It’s this era in time you have to get used to and this kind of area that we’re in right now. It’s just those small talks. I talked about that piece with my dad and he talked about death before I had even seen it in a movie. I heard Chris Webber use the same analogy, kind of. It’s just that talk you have to have. My dad has to explain to me why certain stuff is happening and it’s sad we have to have these talks when you’re just five years old, but you have to have them.
ON THE BROTHERHOOD AT DUKE AND TEAMMATES EMBRACING HIM DURING HIS REMARKS
Starting off, I told Coach K at the beginning of the season that we’re a different group of guys. Everybody has come in hungry, ready to work. We’re just different, I feel like, to a certain extent. But when those guys came up behind me it was almost like a security blanket. I felt like those guys felt the message with me. Even though they weren’t speaking, they showed the community that they believed every single word that I was saying and I thought that was a really, really big deal.
And I want to touch on, the girls team did the same thing when Coach Lawson was speaking. They came up behind her and they kind of comforted her, too. I thought that was unbelievable. It showed the true Brotherhood that we have, as not just a men’s program, but a whole program throughout the whole Duke athletics.
