NFL Players Are Poised to be a Force for Social Justice
This is an extraordinary moment in sports in the United States. Recently, the Players Coalition, led by NFL players Malcolm Jenkins, Doug Baldwin and Anquan Boldin, reached a historic tentative agreement with the NFL, earmarking almost $100 million for efforts by the Players Coalition and the NFL to work toward addressing social-justice concerns, particularly those affecting African-American communities.
This effort stems from Colin Kaepernick’s brave decision over a year ago to sit and then kneel during the pre-game playing of the national anthem. In its wake, athletes in many sports and of all ages have expressed their feelings on a number of social-justice issues through silent, peaceful pre-game protests. Nowhere, however, have these protests been as numerous and effective as in the NFL.