In the wake of Jacob Blake being shot by police, much of the sports world has ground to a halt. The Baltimore Ravens, in following with several NFL and other professional sports teams, took time today to discuss social justice reform and how to move forward together. After canceling their afternoon meetings to hold the team discussion, the Ravens released a statement with several specific calls to action.
The statement condemned racism and the abuse of peaceful protesters in recent months, calling for society to unify regardless of race, religion, creed, or belief. While they acknowledged these issues are bigger than sports, Baltimore called for the arrest of the police officers responsible for the murder of Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake, as well as police and prison reform.
This isn’t the first time the Ravens have put themselves in the middle of social justice issues this offseason. Owner Steve Bisciotti donated $1 million toward social justice reform within Baltimore and the team made a video standing with “Black Lives Matter.”
Read below to see the full statement from the Ravens:
With yet another example of racial discrimination with the shooting of Jacob Blake, and the unlawful abuse of peaceful protesters, we MUST unify as a society. It is imperative that all people – regardless of race, religion, creed or belief – come together to say, ‘Enough is enough!’
This is bigger than sports. Racism is embedded in the fabric of our nation’s foundation and is a blemish on our country’s history. If we are to change course and make our world a better place, we must face this problem head-on and act now to enact positive change.
It is time to accept accountability and acknowledge the ramifications of slavery and racial injustice.
Though we cannot right all the wrongs of our country’s history, we can:
- Arrest and charge the police officers responsible for Breonna Taylor’s killing and the shooting of Jacob Blake.
- Demand that Senator Mitch McConnell bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 to the Senate floor for vote.
- End qualified immunity; require body cameras; ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants; hold police accountable in court; establish a framework to prohibit racial profiling at federal, state, and local levels
- Support state- and federally-mandated CALEA Accreditation and national standards of care in policing.
- Encourage everyone to engage in the political process by registering to vote on both the local and national level. (www.risetovote.turbovote.org)
- Demand prison sentencing reform that is fair and equitable.
- Encourage every citizen to act with respect and compliance when engaging with the police. If you feel there has been an abuse of power, we encourage you to contact your police department’s internal affairs unit. (For Baltimore City, dial 410-396-2300.)
We will use our platform to drive change now – not just for our generation, but for the generations that follow, for our sons and daughters and for their children.