Saints' Malcolm Jenkins Discusses Black People's Right to Vote Amid Protests

New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins discussed the importance of maintaining black people's right to vote during a conversation about voter suppression.

Jenkins joined Complex News for a conversation about tactics former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said were used in her state to remove the right to vote for 1.4 million people and refuse registration for 53,000 applications, 80 percent of which were from people of color.

"There's a reason, ya know, our ancestors put their lives on the line for our ability to vote," Jenkins said. "And have done all of these things, our long history with civil rights and all these things, being able to vote was the No. 1 thing that was fought for because we know that's how we can change the landscape of the country from a democracy standpoint."

Here's a look at the full discussion from Tuesday, which also included rapper Rapsody (Jenkins' comments begin around the 14-minute mark):

A report from the American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit organization aimed at protecting individual rights, said "one in 13 Black Americans cannot vote due to disenfranchisement laws" in the U.S.

Jenkins has emerged as one of the NFL's most vocal activists as a co-founder of the Players Coalition, an organization focused on social justice and racial equality.

The 32-year-old New Jersey native has sought justice for George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man who was killed while in Minneapolis Police Department custody last week:

The situation has sparked worldwide protests. Jenkins took part in a Philadelphia march for the cause Sunday.

The Ohio State product is one of a large and growing group of athletes, executives and teams from the sports community that have spoken out over the past eight days.

"We know if you don't have a vote, you don't have a voice," Jenkins told Complex News. "... Lives have been put on the line for that ability, and I think we all need to honor that and respect it and pay forward. Not only for us but also for the next generation."

Derek Chauvin, who was one of four Minnesota police officers fired after Floyd's killing, was charged with felony third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after being shown on video pinning Floyd to the ground facedown with his knee on Floyd's neck over an alleged forgery.

Jenkins signed with the Saints, the team that originally selected him in the 2009 NFL draft, in March after spending the past six years with the Philadelphia Eagles.