Coach Bill Belichick invited Rahsaan Hall, the director of the racial justice program at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts, to speak to the New England Patriots after the death of George Floyd, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
It was one of multiple efforts from the Patriots’ coaching staff to help open discussions about racial injustice amid international protests against systemic racism.
“I think coach has a good, healthy understanding of the gravity of the situation and the times that we’re living in,” Patriots captain and special teams standout Matthew Slater told NBC Sports Boston. “I think he’s done a good job of trying to listen, trying to learn and hear from his players and try to navigate this as best as he can.
“Look, I understand what his job is. His job is to coach the football team and get the football team ready to be successful, and nothing’s going to take his focus away from that. But I do think that it’s important, as he has done, to hear from his players and understand that, ‘Hey, at the end of the day, football is temporary.’ What we’re left with is who we are as people, the values and beliefs and our experiences, and the results of those experiences. That’s what we’re going to be left with.
“So I’m sure that he’ll continue to be open and receptive to us having dialogue. I’m thankful for what he has done thus far as far as that process is concerned, and we’ll just see how it goes as we press forward.”
