Atlanta Falcons players Todd Gurley and Grady Jarrett hope that speaking candidly about racial injustice will help promote change. But Gurley and Jarrett can’t wait to keep putting the action behind their words.
Speaking in an Instagram Live Wednesday night session hosted by Gurley and moderated by ESPN’s Jalen Rose, Gurley and Jarrett participated in a discussion on racial injustice; police brutality associated with the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others; wealth disparity based on race; the lack of diversified programs in schools; the Black Lives Matter movement; and the importance of voting, as well as many other issues.
Rose asked Gurley, the 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year with the Los Angeles Rams, if his celebrity status has ruled him out of racial injustice. Gurley replied, “Certainly not. At the end of the day, we are still black men in America.”
The running back went on to explain how much the NFL needs a change, given the lack of minorities in top positions and the gap that has remained since Colin Kaepernick protested racial injustice by taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016.
“Being in the NFL, seeing all that we go through in the NFL, there’s still a lot to change,” said Gurley. “That’s why we’re trying to put pressure on the commissioner – you know, the whole situation of Colin Kaepernick with him not being able to be in the league – there’s still a lot to change.
“I feel like us players as we came together, deal with the [coronavirus] pandemic and in the face of George Floyd’s situation, there is still a strong movement to push. But it’s definitely a start. We just have to keep pushing, keep harassing the NFL to do better because it’s a great organization. We need to be able to push the league to do more for black communities. “
Rose brought up the subject of police brutality and asked Jarrett if he plans to take a knee or if he is considering hundreds of players taking a knee this season, especially after Commissioner Roger Goodell said the the league was wrong not to listen to the players and encourage them to do so. speak and protest peacefully. Jarrett took a knee alongside his teammate Dontari Poe in 2017 after President Donald Trump said NFL players should be “fired” for kneeling during the anthem.
“The moment I took that knee… I wanted it to be more than just a gesture,” Jarrett recalls. “I wanted it to be a commitment to myself to do more in the community and get more involved. I would say that for anyone who thinks of [kneeling], don’t do it just because it’s the cool thing to do or now it’s a little more accepted to do so I can do it just to fit in because that’s what people want me to do do. If you do something, find out about an organization that exists and go put the money, effort behind it.
“I predict a lot more people will be doing social events this year, whether it’s hitting a knee or locking their arms – many different ways for guys to get the point across. I plan to see a lot of them across the league and [kneeling being] something that I’m sure our team, we’ll talk about how we want to make it happen. … I’m just saying put some work behind the stocks. “
As Jason Reid of The Undefeated reported this week, the league plans to allow players to have stickers on the back of their helmets bearing the names or initials of victims of systemic racism and police violence.
Gurley and Jarrett have been involved in the Atlanta community in an effort to inspire black youth and promote racial equality. Jarrett, a strong voice on the Falcons social justice committee and team nominee Walter Payton for 2018 man of the year, provides financial support to at-risk children by donating to reading programs and being an advocate for the campaign against bullying. Becoming Falcon this offseason, Gurley has donated hundreds of hot meals to those in need during the pandemic, and he is the guest speaker at a webinar Friday in partnership with black start-up Perch Credit to educate young people about financial well-being and money management.
Rose asked Jarrett the same question about whether his celebrity status makes him immune to racial injustice.
“Regarding my experience as a professional athlete in my hometown, I think at the end of the day whatever you do in life as a success, they are going to see you as a black man first.” , Jarrett said. “The challenges you will face are inevitable. They will allow certain elevations to a certain extent. I think that being able to have some success, yes there will be positions where I could have a little more leeway. maneuver that the next Black Person who is not in my place.
“But you realize that there are less than 1 percent of people like me in that position. Due to the limitations that have been placed on us as a race, sometimes we won’t have the opportunity to show this. that you can do. I think that’s what we, as [Black] people, ask for the opportunity to show that we can do it and to have a level playing field. It is not a question of giving a document. All we want is a level playing field. “
The panel also included Martin Luther King III, eldest son of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The Younger King spoke about the recent change in Washington, with the city’s NFL team dropping his racist nickname. (The franchise announced Thursday that it would be the “Washington Football Team,” pending a new name.) The financial ramifications of sponsorship helped make this change. King argued that people can promote change by not spending money on businesses they believe are not about equality.
“Non-violence can be a revolutionary technique,” he said. “All of these protests that we’ve seen across this country – and we’ve seen millions of people across our country and around the world. For the first time in the history of our world, we have the world’s attention. “
Rapper Bun B, who noted that black artists dominate the Billboard charts for the first time, spoke about how he thinks black people are sometimes viewed.
“You shouldn’t have to be America’s # 1 running back to thrive in America,” he said. “Our black kids shouldn’t have to think if they can’t run with a soccer ball or shoot through a hoop or be an artist or recording artist that they can’t thrive in this country. now see in real time how America sees them, how America sees them. They were told that “America Dream” works for everyone, but now they are witnessing that it does not work for black people in this country . They are angry about it and confused. “
Rose, a former NBA player, concluded his thoughts on the discussion with the following statement: “I wish America loves black people as much as it loves black culture.”
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