Gov. Jerry Brown endorses strong action against Donald Sterling

Gov. Jerry Brown said Wednesday that remarks about African Americans attributed to Donald Sterling were a “horror” and required a “strong” response against the owner of the Clippers.

“Of course, when words of that kind are uttered, given the history in America, with relationship to African Americans, it’s a horror,” Brown told CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour in an interview. “And the action has to be strong, because we have to extirpate any vestige of the kind of prejudice that has too long plagued this country.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday banned Sterling from the basketball league for life and said he would push to get other team owners to force Sterling to sell his franchise.

Silver has determined that a voice heard in audio recordings made public over the weekend chastising a friend for making public her association with African Americans was Sterling’s.

Amanpour asked Brown about most NBA players being black and most team owners being white.

“You just described the anomaly, where the African Americans are giving their all on the court, and then people who are white are reaping the financial rewards,” Brown responded. “And then to have these kind of comments, it’s unthinkable. And whatever remedies can be taken under the law have to be pursued.”

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