Virginia's basketball team takes a stand against inequality by kneeling together

Virginia’s basketball team is joining the fight against racial inequality.

Players posted photos Thursday night of the entire team dressed in black, arms interlocking and kneeling at midcourt of the John Paul Jones Arena practice floor. Each of the photos included the caption, “Kneel for Injustice. Kneel for Equality.”

Virginia is the first college basketball team to come together to protest injustice since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem last month. Kaepernick’s controversial protest has inspired others NFL players to kneel or raise their fists during the anthem as well as athletes in college football and other sports.

Virginia players hinted at their motivation in their Tweets and Instagram posts Thursday night.

“Using our platform to help create change. TOGETHER!” point guard London Perrantes wrote.

“Aiming to make the world a better place with my brothers,” swingman Mariol Shayok added.

“It means so much that we could come together and do this as a team,” forward Isaiah Wilkins wrote. “Regardless of the attention that this gets and the positive and negative responses know that I’m with y’all.”

Virginia’s involvement could indeed garner plenty of attention because the Cavaliers have been one of college basketball’s strongest programs the past few years. They’re expected to begin the new season in the top 15 in the polls and once again challenge Duke and North Carolina in the ACC.

Virginia coach Tony Bennett did not immediately respond to a text message from Yahoo Sports on Friday morning seeking his reaction to the “Kneel for Injustice, Kneel for Equality” photos. Bennett subsequently expressed support via Virginia basketball’s Twitter feed.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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