The Baltimore Ravens are continuing to use their platform to speak out against racial inequality and police brutality.
Recently, the NFL team released a statement alongside their six-bullet plan to help combat racism and police brutality in the United States. The list included arresting the officers responsible for Breonna Taylor’s killing and Jacob Blake’s shooting and bringing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to the Senate floor for a vote.
On Monday (Aug. 31), the Ravens followed up on the latter and sent a letter to Senator Mitch McConnell, urging him to help with the cause.
“The Justice in Policing Act includes long overdue reforms that target patterns, practices and conduct by police that disproportionately affect people of color across the nation,” the letter reads. “Far too often, Black men, women and children have lost their lives at the hands of police officers with little to no accountability for the actions of those officers. With yet another example of racial discrimination and police misconduct with the shooting of Jacob Blake a few days ago, we can no longer tolerate a system that has too often failed to serve, protect and value the lives of Black Americans. It is time for our leaders at the highest level of government to finally act and pass meaningful reforms that will save Black lives.”
The bill, which would ban law enforcement from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, prohibit racial profiling from officers and mandate body cameras among other things, recently passed in the House of Representatives, but no progress has been made since.
In the aftermath of the shootings of Floyd, Taylor and most recently Blake, athletes across the sports world have been more active in the fight for change, staging boycotts and detailing social justice plans.
The NBA announced they will convert basketball arenas to polling sites so people could safetly vote on Nov. 3. The NFL will also paint social justice messages across end zones in their upcoming 2020 season.
Check out the Ravens’ letter to Sen. McConnell below.