Getty Lamar Jackson before a Ravens-Chiefs game.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson watched with the rest of the world as Breonna Taylor did not receive justice for her death, and the quarterback had something to say on the matter.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Jackson was asked about Taylor’s death and the outcome of the case. To say he was disappointed was an understatement, but in typical Jackson fashion, he let the world know in as classy and eloquent terms as possible.
Here’s Jackson’s response:
“When I got up I was seeing it on social media of her not getting justice. We got other things in the world that get justice that don’t really need justice but people want to push that issue a lot more than our Black lives that’s mattering, Breonna Taylor being one of them. It’s crazy that we never get justice for serious things on our side of the part. We’re in America where it should be freedom of speech, land of the free, but I don’t really feel it’s that way for us Black people sometimes.”
The Ravens themselves have been no strangers to the conversation, revealing their own eloquent statement on what needs to change moving forward. So far, though, there hasn’t been much done with regards to what they have been asking for. To that end, the frustration of Jackson on this matter is palpable and understandable.
Once again, Jackson is there with his words when they seem to be needed the most amid another confusing, frustrating and sad situation.
Ravens Pressure Mitch McConnell for Action
A month ago, the team revealed a letter that they had penned to senate majority leader Mitch McConnell urging the Kentucky senator to bring legislation to the table regarding the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 as a way to create meaningful change in the wake of multiple tragedies in America.
The video and contents of the letter were narrated by several members of the team, including Calais Campbell, Justin Tucker, Matt Judon, Ronnie Stanley, Robert Griffin III, Willie Snead and Bradley Bozeman and is another powerful statement.
Ravens players and staff signed a letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell urging him to bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 to the Senate floor for a vote.
The Ravens also signed the letter themselves.
Ravens players and staff signed a letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell urging him to bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 to the Senate floor for a vote.
What the Ravens are doing is a very powerful act, and the hope is their actions do not fall on deaf ears from those in a position of power.
John Harbaugh Proud of Ravens Statement
As Harbaugh explained late last week, he was only a small part of the whole decision to form these plans. When he heard the players wanted to get involved, he let them facilitate their voice and hash out the plan moving forward. As a result, Harbaugh says he is very proud of what the team put together.
Speaking with the media, Harbaugh was asked about what Thursday was like and he said the trust he put in his players was rewarded in the end with the positive statement they delivered.
“The players felt strongly that they wanted to do this together. When you empower someone, it’s because you trust them.”
Coach Harbaugh on empowering his players’ voices:
Harbaugh said:
“The players felt strongly that they wanted to do things together. We had very knowledgable assistant coaches that were involved in it. I stepped away from the meeting and I trusted them. When you empower somebody, it’s because you trust them and you believe in them. Not everybody is going to agree with every point in that statement. Not everybody on our team probably is going to agree with every aspect of it. But the ability to respect everybody’s opinion and come up with something that’s workable that we can go forward with, I think it’s kind of a good example of how you work every problem. I’m proud of them for doing that. I thought it took a lot of courage and intelligence and thought. Experience was brought to the table and I’m proud of them for doing that.”
The statement has been lauded by one of the best by a professional sports team, and the attention to detail that was put into it on the Baltimore end is obvious. It’s neat to see a staff in tune with their players in such a way as Harbaugh is.
Ravens Revealed Impressive Statement
That was the case until the Baltimore Ravens set the bar with a fantastic statement which included multiple specific calls to action. Thursday morning, the Ravens elected to practice, but in the afternoon, they were hard at work talking and brainstorming their response. By the time it was revealed, it was incredibly powerful.
The result? A comprehensive statement which not only outlined how the team felt about what was going on, but made specific points about what the team is calling on to change nationally.
Statement from the Baltimore Ravens:
Specifically, the Ravens called on the police who shot Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor to be arrested. They also demanded that senator Mitch McConnell bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to the senate floor. Additionally, the team said they encouraged folks to vote and get involved in the political process, demanded prison sentences that were fair and equitable and encourage citizens to report any possible violations of the police to the department’s internal affairs unit.
As the Ravens said, these steps will help the world become a better place for everyone’s children and grandchildren. The hope is some of these demands are met with a serious mindset from those in power.
Certainly, thus far, it doesn’t seem as if Jackson would find that to be the complete case.
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