Amid the ongoing protests and tension sweeping the country after the death of George Floyd, many Boston sports figures and teams have spoken up.
On Saturday, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours to lead a protest in Atlanta, and the following day, thousands of people, including Marcus Smart, Enes Kanter, and Vincent Poirier, gathered on Boston Common to peacefully protest. That night, Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty and his brother, safety Devin McCourty, took time on their podcast, “Double Coverage,” to share their thoughts on the protests, specifically the looting and rioting.
The Red Sox are the latest Boston team to weigh in, retweeting a post by the Black Lives Matter movement honoring the lives lost to police brutality. In support, they configured the scoreboard at Fenway Park with the statement, “Black Lives Matter.”
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Our anger and grief must translate to action. We have a responsibility to use our platform to amplify messages of truth and justice.#BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/uTmz3nDO4h pic.twitter.com/aXeiEFon31
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 2, 2020
On Tuesday, Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy expressed his sentiments on where he and the organization stand on the issues:
Where we stand: pic.twitter.com/V6Yug1NXxq
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 2, 2020
“I have been struggling to find the right words to express the profound anguish, outrage and confusion we are all feeling in the wake of the heartbreaking incidents that hover occurred across the country over the past few months,” Kennedy wrote.
“The senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are stark reminders that racism and police brutality continue to be pervasive in America. I am proud of our teammates who peacefully protested on Sunday. Each of you helped shine a spotlight on injustice and used your voice to advocate for change. Please know we stand with you.
“Over the past few days, I spent time connecting with many of you and listening to your perspectives. I am so grateful to my teammates who consistently remind me that the Red Sox have an obligation to amplify the voices of those who share our values, but do not share our platform. Silence in the face of injustice is unacceptable.
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"Thank you for your support of each other during these challenging times. Our work continues.”
The Pawtucket Red Sox also released a statement in support on Twitter.
#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/R21zk86SOE
— PawSox (@PawSox) June 2, 2020