After the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 26-year old black man in Georgia, who was gunned down by a former policeman and his son while he jogging, athletes from all backgrounds have expressed their grief through social media, including Tom Brady.
This week, co-founder of the NFL Players Coalition, Anquan Boldin, expressed his gratitude for the prominent white athletes who are showing public support on matters of social justice.
Boldin’s statement came just a few days after he and the coalition sent in a letter with over 60 athlete signatures, to the Department of Justice, calling for an immediate investigation into Arbery’s killing.
Boldin made an appearance on ESPN’s First Take and commended the Bucs new QB for his support. “I think it’s very significant, especially having Tom be a guy who hasn’t been involved in politics at all,” he said. “He’s kind of stayed away from it. But it just goes to show that people are tired of [the injustice] happening. We’ve seen it over and over again, and far too long, we’ve allowed it to go on and not speak out about it. So to have someone like Tom Brady sign the letter, it was very significant.”
Aside from Brady, other prominent white athletes who voiced concern and support include David Andrews, Julian Edelman, Ryan Izzo, Josh McCown and even Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Boldin also commented on how the lack of white athletes speaking out on social justice matters does not necessarily mean that they do not support the cause.
“A lot of them are afraid to say the wrong things… They want to make sure that the message that they speak out is right,” he said. “Like I said, from the guys that I’ve talked to, they want to make sure that what they say doesn’t hurt the cause, as opposed to helping it.”
Boldin co-founded the Player’s Coalition in 2017 to raise awareness about social injustice in America, most specifically, police and community relations.
Just yesterday, the coalition sent a letter to the FCC encouraging that they provide internet to those in need during this global pandemic.
“Families need internet access now more than ever. With students adjusting to distance learning, the educational divide is heightened for students in low-income communities who cannot reach their teacher and educational materials because they can’t go online.”
