If you don’t support Black Lives Matter as a movement at this point, the best thing you can possibly do is shut the fuck up.
Someone asked me recently if they should say something, and what they should say, clearly and obviously this was a White person, but specifically, it was a White Male Celebrity, he chose to speak out and he chose to speak out without referencing the riots. He did the right thing by standing up for BLM, however…Drew Brees chose not to go that route.
In full his statement:
Members of the NFL responded with this:
There is a lack of understanding when it comes to Black Lives, a lack of compassion and a lack of belief that our lives are as important as yours, and the truth is the only reason you said what you said is because you’ve never had to live in our shoes.
There is a huge difference between how White people see the world, and how Black people see the world and if you can’t even try to see the world from our perspective, if you can’t try to connect to us why the fuck should we support you on the field?
These people, Black Lives Matter, are putting their lives and their livelihoods on the line so that the rest of us can have a better life, what’s more Soldier like than that?
People of color are often murdered, for no other reason than the fact that they are not White, but that’s not your reality Drew, and unfortunately what your statement tells the world is that our voices don’t matter.
I will never forget when the hurricane attacked New Orleans, I will never forget spending eighteen days watching as New Orleans was systematically destroyed.
At the very least consider what it might have been like if one of your team mates was George Floyd, if you really can’t do that then you shouldn’t be leading a Team.
A Team Leader is supposed to be there for their team, they are supposed to be a system of support and understanding and you are making a racist choice, choosing not to do that, because it’s easier for you to stick to your ways than it is to be uncomfortable for awhile and that really sucks, because I kind of thought of you as one of my hero’s.
I will never forget when you led your team to victory ten years ago. I remember crying in pride when your team made that final touchdown, when the bells rang and the crowd went wild because The Saints had won the Superbowl only a year after the worst hurricane in decades.
I was so proud of you Drew, and I am nothing but disgusted today, I am absolutely heart broken that someone I admire and respect and look up to can have so little respect for his fans.
I am a Black woman, in case you haven’t put that together, and George Floyd could have been my brother, or my cousin, or my baby nephew. One day I am going to have to talk to my children in the future about what the color of their skin means. I am going to have to explain to them that their lives will always matter less to people like you, because of the color of their skin.
I know you will probably never read this, but I need you to understand, that there are those of us that are pulling for you, that hope you can open your eyes and realize that your team mates are fighting for us the best way they know how.
People are starting to realize that we’re not fucking around anymore, that we are serious when we say Black Lives Matter Too.
We’re not even asking you to take a fucking knee, we’re just asking you not to say stupid shit. The flag is not representative of one group of people, it is not representative of just the Soldiers, it represents an entire diverse country of people from around the world. Not just the ones that look like you or your children.
Your children will never have to fear that someone is going to rape/murder/torture/kill them because of the color of their skin.
Your children will have the best possible opportunities because of the color of their skin and the wealth you have amassed as an NFL Football player.
There is no room for racism in football, especially when half the players happen to be Black men and there is no room in this world anymore, for those of you who choose to remain silent in the face of oppression.
I respect the American Flag I respect the fact that it stands for the Home of the Brave and the Free and the Strong and if you truly believe that the Flag stands for American Soldiers who fought and continue to fight for Freedom around the world, than you will stand beside your Black NFL Football Player Collegues, and you will state that Black Lives Matter Too.
Or you’ll shut the fuck up before you make it worse. Those are your choices.
Sending Solidarity with the NFL Football Players who stand with the following people:
Devon J Hall
Loud Mouth Brown Girl 