Ravens Outline Plan to Advocate for Social Justice After Jacob Blake Shooting
August 27, 2020
The Baltimore Ravens released a statement Thursday outlining a six-point plan to combat systemic racism and police brutality:
The plan includes arresting the police officers responsible for the shooting of Jacob Blake and the death of Breonna Taylor, demanding U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell bring the "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020" to a vote on the Senate floor, backing CALEA accreditation and national standards in police care, encouraging people to register to vote, calling for prison sentencing reform and asking citizens to "act with respect and compliance when engaging with the police."
The Ravens also encouraged people to contact their respective local police department's internal affairs unit if they felt a police officer abused their power while engaging with them.
"We will use our power to drive change nowโnot just for our generation, but for the generations that follow, for our sons and daughters and for their children," the Ravens wrote in their statement's conclusion.
The Ravens' call for action sparked responses from the team's players on Twitter, with many of them backing the statement and asking followers to create change:
The team's response also received praise from numerous analysts.ย Sports Illustrated's MMQBย re-tweeted the Ravens and called it a "strong, actionable, detailed-oriented statement."
Others, such as NFL Network's Jim Trotter and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, provided praise as well:
The Ravens are scheduled to begin their regular season Sunday, Sept. 13 at home against the Cleveland Browns.