We are in the midst of historic weeks in our country and the world.

The murder of George Floyd on May 25th was and is an outrage. It is a crime against not just one man and his family or even a group of people, but against all people who believe as I do that institutional racism, police violence, and the unjust treatment of black people in our world have to end.

Too often in our history, we have not stood up for what is right and/or stood on the sidelines while someone else did the work that was necessary for others to receive even the smallest semblance of justice and equality in this country.

We at CaptainU condemn the acts of violence and racism that have taken place in our nation for far too long. There is a lot of pain, frustration, and fear that is being felt right now, especially among our black communities that have suffered the greatest harm. We stand in solidarity with the black community and are committed to being a part of the solution.

I know that we can be better and we must be better than what we have seen time and again.

For the CaptainU team, this goes beyond George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Travon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, and Oscar Grant.

We are privileged to support millions of high school athletes and their families from all walks of life and from all ethnic and racial backgrounds. The diversity of our community makes us stronger.

We recognize that we cannot solve these problems today and that there is a lot of work to be done, including addressing the systemic issues that stand in the way of creating a more inclusive, just, and compassionate society. While we do not have the same reach as many other companies, the CaptainU team is focused on being better, on educating ourselves along with so many others, on being advocates and allies, on standing up for what is right, and most importantly, calling out the injustices that have plagued our country.

CaptainU’s goal has always been to provide equal footing for all athletes in the recruiting process and achieve the dream of becoming a collegiate athlete.

In order to achieve that goal we will:

  • Re-establish the CaptainU scholarship and in so doing we will target athletes in minority and underserved communities
  • Begin donating our tools to students and schools in underserved areas Focus on assisting minority athletes in underrepresented sports
  • Work more intentionally towards connecting with college coaches at HBCUs
  • Pursue training and learning opportunities for the entire CaptainU team to combat implicit bias, unrecognized privilege, and social injustice

In closing I would like to make clear where I and our team stand:

Black Lives Matter.

We are anti-racist.

Silence is not an option.

Stand with us as we stand with our friends, neighbors, and perfect strangers in the fight for what is right.

If you can help us achieve our goals, please reach me at [email protected].

Tanner Highlen

GM – CaptainU