In the wake of several professional sports teams striking in favor of social justice reform, the Baltimore Ravens are following suit. According to the team, the Ravens will hold their morning practice but have canceled afternoon meetings. Instead, they will come together to discuss social justice and how they want to move forward as a team.
The outcry comes just days after a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer shot Jacob Blake multiple times. The shooting saw protesters come out in force and the movement has resonated with many professional athletes who have taken to social media to share their frustrations and disappointment. The Milwaukee Bucks refused to take to the basketball court for their playoff game on Wednesday, helping push the matter firmly into the sports world.
Before Thursday’s practice, coach John Harbaugh called a team meeting on the practice field at the Under Armour Performance Center, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. It’s unclear what the team’s next move will be but it’s a public show of support toward continued social justice reform and the backing of their most vocal players on the matter.
This isn’t the first time Baltimore has supported this cause. With this spring and summer seeing public outrage toward police for how they treat minorities, the Ravens have been very outspoken around the Black Lives Matter movement. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said that sticking to sports would make him “the worst kind of hypocrite” while also donating $1 million to support social justice reform in Baltimore through his Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation.
