Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett offers powerful talk about violence in Charlottesville

University of Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett, the former Charlotte Hornet point guard, offered a powerful message of peace and unity following the tragic incidents in Charlottesville last week.

The university is located in the small Virginia town where three people died and 35 were injured after after a series of protests organized by white supremacists and counter demonstrators turned violent.

“I’m deeply troubled and saddened by what’s taken place in Charlottesville over the past few days, but I love this community,” Bennett said. “I love the people of Charlottesville, the town, the University of Virginia and what it stands for. I realize there’s no perfect place and there’s issues everywhere, but having raised my family here and lived in Charlottesville for the past eight years, I’ve grown so fond of it and I know so many others believe in this community and all that it’s about. On behalf of my coaching staff and the Virginia basketball team, we believe in diversity and unity to its fullest extent. We know when those two things come together, something beautiful and triumphant comes out of it.”

See Bennett’s entire speech below

This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett offers powerful talk about violence in Charlottesville."