Throughout 2020, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has consistently showed the world what a stand-up guy he truly is. Rashford off the pitch as a human being matches the scoring sensation we see on the pitch.
Today he released a very powerful public statement about the widespread protests being staged all across the United States of America. The entire world is watching as the ugliness of rioting and looting overshadows the peaceful protests against racial inequality and police brutality. The Mancunian tweeted the following a few hours ago:
#blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/LSEeQ61YRz
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 1, 2020
The current unrest stems from America’s long, painful history of racial inequality, with last week’s murder of African-American George Floyd, by a Caucasian police officer in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin, sparking the powder keg. This is about issues and topics that go way deeper than football, so for more on what’s happening and why go here.
The Black Lives Matter movement, first brought into mainstream sports media attention by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2017, addresses the injustices perpetrated against people of color by law enforcement. The Floyd case, along with the killing of Breonna Taylor by police and Ahmaud Arbery by wannabe police, has brought BLM back to the forefront.
As many in the sporting world have said, it’s clear that little, if any, progress has been made on this front. Over the weekend, four Bundesliga footballers, including United’s top transfer target, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, expressed solidarity with the protestors seeking justice for George Floyd.
Also on Monday, Liverpool FC’s official social media posted a photo of their entire squad taking a knee together around the center circle at their home stadium of Anfield. The caption reads “Black Lives Matter” and “Unity is Strength.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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