The NFL could be playing ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ ahead of the Week 1 games in 2020, a move that Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Chris Conley commented on in a series of tweets on Friday.
The league plans to play the song, commonly known as the black national anthem, before the start of its Week 1 games, Jason Reid of The Undefeated first reported Thursday.
In response to the reported move, Conley turned to Twitter to weigh himself up. Earlier this offseason, Conley helped lead a team-wide demo in Jacksonville with many of her teammates, coaches, and other team employees.
“The league taking advantage of the opportunity to play ‘Raise Every Voice and Sing’ (the black national anthem) is sweet. It’s a great way to honor those who started this movement years and years ago,” Conley wrote Friday.
“For those unfamiliar with it, this song seeks to remind us of our past as a country and strive to be better. It speaks to all of us, not just blacks, though it became a rallying cry for blacks in the age of Jim Crow. It’s a beautiful message born of pain, “continued Conley.
“For those who claim that the song is decisive, I ask which part. Just like America the Beautiful is played to honor, this song is the same. It is not for ‘just black people’, it is for everyone who recognizes the past and press for a better future. “
The move to play ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ comes immediately after other recent actions by the league to increase its commitment to social justice and equality.
Last month, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave one of the league’s strongest statements so far in reference to social justice, which came in response to a video posted by players asking the league to broadcast. a revised statement on the subject of systemic racism and police brutality. .
“We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of blacks,” Goodell said in the video. “We, the NFL, admit that we were wrong not to listen to NFL players earlier and we encourage everyone to speak up and protest peacefully. We, the NFL, believe that Black Lives Matter is important.”
The Jaguars have been at the forefront of a league-wide effort to raise awareness of social justice and advocacy for equal rights, following rampant examples of police brutality and systemic racism across the country. Running back Leonard Fournette staged his own peaceful demonstration across the city, in addition to Conley and other players who helped guide the Jaguars on a peaceful walk through the city.
“I think the community can learn that Jaguars can support each other. You know that the last few days have shown it, even in our locker rooms, even though they have been It is touted as places where there is no racism, that there is complete unity, but that is not true, “Conley said after the Jaguars rally as a team.
“Being able to admit that we can grow is a hallmark of change and I think that should happen in the locker room as well. I don’t know what effect this will have in the community, but I know it will have an effect in the locker room. I know I can look To the guys who were here today, I can look them in the eye and say, “Thank you. Thanks for listening. Thank you for wanting to know more. “You think it has an impact in itself on our locker room and on this building.”
