The Baltimore Ravens released a statement on Thursday (Aug. 27) outlining a plan to combat police brutality and systemic racism in America, following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
“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,” the statement read. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”
The NFL organization then listed six points that we can achieve to be able to help fight racism and police brutality in this country, including arresting the cops who killed Breonna Taylor and shot Blake, demanding prison sentencing reform, challenging U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell to bring the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020” to a vote on the Senate floor, supporting national standards and CALEA accreditation in police care, registering to vote and asking citizens to “act with respect and compliance when engaging with the police.”
The Ravens also listed the number that the people of Baltimore can call if they feel like an officer has abused their power.
“We will use our power to drive change now — not just for our generation, but for the generations that follow, for our sons and daughters and for their children,” the Ravens concluded.
This statement comes after numerous teams across different leagues boycotted games on Wednesday (Aug. 26) and Thursday in response to the Kenosha police shooting Blake, a 29-year-old Black father.
Check out their full statement below.