In a statement released on Wednesday, the Baltimore Ravens declared it is time to acknowledge the lasting effects of racial injustice and called for the arrest of the officers responsible for Breonna Taylor’s murder and 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. It is imperative that all people — regardless of race, religion, creed or belief — come together to say, ‘Enough is enough!'” the team said.
It continued, “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.”
Statement from the Baltimore Ravens: pic.twitter.com/Q8kOzQ8qAZ
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 27, 2020
The Baltimore Ravens also called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bring the George Floyd in Policing Act of 2020 to the Senate floor for a vote.
The team implored lawmakers to end qualified immunity, require the use of body cameras, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, hold police accountable in court, establish guidelines to prohibit racial profiling at every level, and other reforms.
“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,” the Baltimore Ravens said.
The team’s statement came on the same day the National Basketball Association (NBA) postponed all three playoff games to protest racial injustice, as IJR previously reported.
Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, was killed by police officers in Kentucky in March.
Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot several times in the back by a white police officer in Wisconsin on Aug. 23.
