In the midst of a national accounts of police brutality and systemic racism on the heels of the killing of George Floyd, ESPN chose to collect the award ESPYs show an entry in the sport this unique moment in our culture. New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, who has spent the last few years, thus, the national reform of criminal law and lobbying state legislators and their reaction in tears Comments Drew Brees to teammates during the national anthem, disrespect the flag ‘and’ our country ‘is on its knees the strong emotions of millions of Americans captured immediately came to mind. “We asked, his voice perhaps more in a show aired at this important juncture in our national discourse on racial equality and police brutality of resonance,” said Rob King, senior vice president and director general, content ESPN Jenkins, who runs his own production company, Listen Up media jumped on the opportunity to serve as the creative force behind a powerful piece. After the 2016 death of two unarmed men blacks by police, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile Jenkins began to wonder what else he could do to stop these incidents. Then a 2016 segment ESPYs that LeBron James is Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade to speak out against police brutality, prompted him to act. “Just look at a way that is unexpected, let me know that the things that I thought they were not far-fetched,” Jenkins told TIME in an exclusive interview about his ESPYs piece. “There were other people who shared those feelings. Social media, hashtags and T-shirts and all that stuff is cool, but not enough. Their particular talks broke just me enough to say, ‘I do not know exactly what I will do, but I’ll find out go. It ‘was for me galvanizing moment. “about a week later, then Jenkins to push with the Philadelphia Eagles and several players met with former Philadelphia police Commissioner Richard Ross for reform. Jenkins hopes that his piece that aired Sunday night during the ESPYs to act similarly galvanized athletes. A consulting segment of discretion viewer opens. “The following presentation contains images of all viewers may not be appropriate,” they say. The clip begins with a mighty heart-breaking hit song of the singer 12 years, gospel Keedron Bryant “I Just Wanna Live”. images of blacks killed men and a woman, in many cases, by police – including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Floyd – flash across the screen. Jenkins appear on athletes invitation is to take the form of Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Arthur Ashe, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Colin Kaepernick. We see the painful image of the former officer of Minneapolis Derek Chauvin knees police as he calls George Floyd for his mother, as the viewer hears the voice of the singer cool Mumu. Athletes like Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American Muslim woman to win a medal at the Olympics, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, whose public pressure forced NASCAR The Confederate flag on his race, and NBA star Donovan Mitchell talking to ban. Muhammad says in the video game of the pain of seeing Floyd Unfold death. “It ‘s always very difficult for me, to see the faces of people who died because of the violence of the police,” Muhammad, one of the founders of athletes to impact an organization that works closely with the athlete on activism work tells TIME. “They evoke memories of those only time moments when we saw all the videos, or we have heard in this unfortunate way they have passed. And to know is that nothing has changed, it is difficult.” A police violence mounting against the blacks followed women. Mitchell makes a direct appeal to white athletes and sports personalities to occur. Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Zach Ertz, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Vonn, Steve Kerr, Kyle Shanahan, Chris Long and Mark Cuban Calls Make action. Mayor of Newark Ras Baraka calls for justice shall, spoken word: “And we need time, we need it now, we need them now,” he says. “This is the turning point,” says Jenkins. “There is no way back, there is no suggestion forward.” The video ends by saying that “he was murdered in June 21 none of the three police officers who arrested Breonna Taylor.” Jenkins is the piece a call to action for athletes. “I want them to this one of those moments where, if there are more people on the fence on the left to get it,” says Jenkins TIME. “At the moment the safest time is probably involved. It ‘also a very vulnerable time in my head. Now that’s sexy to protest and voice associated with. And so I like that everyone is doing the join it is to do it from a place of understanding and real power, not just the guilt or public pressure. ” Jenkins hopes to involve more white athletes. “Should not I have to say that the responsibility of blacks and whites what to do,” says Jenkins. “You should learn to take upon them, research what is going on, understand our system, as we had to do it.” Why are white allies so important? “If we take the context of outside sports, and only talk about us as a country to these problems that we deal with have been invited into a white majority there,” says Jenkins. “And the reason we can not only do these things is to eradicate because the victims of these systems that minorities do not have enough votes or votes must only these loose-leaf for us. Otherwise, we would have. So, all this movement really going on the back of white people are taken to the finish. “” When you allow people to remain silent, are no longer responsible for what happens, “says Jenkins. “My challenge is for them to interfere not only with declaration or Tweet, but by concrete actions. We have right now at this moment, which is driven by guilt. But the blame eventually expire. So I have right now , think of the time, while we still sat all, is a great time to deal really with the truth and reconciliation. we have never been treated with the truth, where we are. we are now at this time. so i’m challenging my colleagues not only white, hey, denounce racism. This is the easy part. knowing the real oppression that we speak? How you learn to be self-involved, or to perpetuate it? If you want to in May added Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr to understand how you will participate in tearing down this stuff? “his name to a letter from the coalition say the player that the organization of social justice co-founded by Jenkins and former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin, for investigation wedding ring rale the Arbery called death. Given his respect for Jenkins, he was happy to participate in the production in the clip, warns against confusing Kerr in the knee with disrespect for the flag and country. “It can help athletes and entertainers, people with a platform to spread awareness,” explains Kerr TIME. “But in the end, for me, is the white people in places of business, politics and corporate power that will be to create that really Gong change. People can ask of them. And this is what will happen.” Just Jenkins Work ‘provides a model for how all athletes fight for change. In Philadelphia, he knelt down with the protesters on the way to the killing of Floyd, wrote the editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer for a de-escalation of the violence of the police visits, and addressed a crowd at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the 6 June, a police sale invitations and business investment in white, education, housing and welfare. Fourteen members of the Philadelphia City Council, days later, he sent a letter to the mayor of contradicting the police budget of $14 million of the increase. On June 17, the City Council gave preliminary approval for a budget that would cut $33 million from police funding. “As athletes, we have the ability not only to raise awareness about an issue, but when it comes to talking about politics, able to legislators, to talk to the elected officials in a position to put pressure on them for together because we are what we are, we bring cameras, “says Jenkins. “Often we come from the same neighborhoods and communities who need help, so you can better articulate the pain sometimes when these politicians do.” Fully supports, is quite recalls across the country to defund police. “Most people, support the police cessation of funding,” says Jenkins. “Many more people who fight the fight with the formulation of the concept. Most of us, including leadership in law enforcement believe that we ask the police to do too much. They are not trained to deal with mental health problems, are not trained to deal with homelessness, are not trained with domestic disputes do, have to do with the kids to school untrained, they are not trained to deal with a number of things we ask them to respond. We are talking about de-escalation , de-escalation, de-escalation. it ‘s impossible to defuse a situation where you put a gun to someone inside. So, this is intimidation. And this is what we see. If you do not show up to this intimidation, the Eventually someone will be killed. “” Stopping the funding of only takes to make the extra money that goes our police, push a job they do not want to do, and we do not want “to do so, says Jenkins. “And that we push well trained, will have the responsibility they need. We need to define the role of the police again for our community.” A world in which the police Jenkins current plan is not necessary, he says it is desirable. “The ultimate goal is indeed to live in a society where we do not need the police,” says Jenkins. “I do not think anyone wants to create the word with a stroke of a pen in 2020 to eliminate all the police without any other single model real sense, or transition to a different security model. But I think we all want to get to the point where we have to respond to our men armed citizens. what we create a society that is just, that there is extreme poverty who do not live on people these traumatic places. Crime falls because CNN has hired more opportunity “. Jenkins only as a contribution to comment on issues of social justice, education is still produced for the upcoming NFL season during videos, television appearances, charges talking to the athletes about their changing platforms has recently made a zoom call, for example, with members of the Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics and continues her activism work. While Jenkins NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell younger estimate of videos Black lives matter, and establishes a right to protest the player, it needs to be seen. “I think the first step is to recognize what Colin Kaepernick was,” says Jenkins. “He’s in particular. No players in general. What was and what to put on the line. And now that we have as a country we are, it is her, I told you so ‘moment. This is the first. And then secondly, , we all want that he has a chance to see them play. what looks like I think nobody knows. I think a workout or a screen test is a very easy thing to do. There are two sides to this report, so we’ll see. ” work Jenkins NFL in the money for social justice causes detects and awareness campaigns they create. “But we can not take it seriously because of the situation of Colin Kaepernick,” says Jenkins. “We do not know where your heart. If you really want to help, and not to be a voice in this fight that water is confusing or muddies the first thing they need to do is take Kaepernick in this issue of coin head start. “most Jenkins believes America has the opportunity to break the cycle of injustice, indignation, and a return to injustice. “Right now, we have more than any other time in my life, it feels like the ability to turn away literally by the systems that we have had for centuries, and actually begins,” says Jenkins. “Everyone starts to pay attention. This is a time when we, as the functions of our Reimagine society. All our systems have been spawned from white supremacy. And so the reform does not change the origin of the system. It’s just kind of fit. But it is still going in the same direction. as long as it runs on these systems and launch new America, to reach the truth, and to understand how we got here, and what our roles are, then we can get right place of reconciliation. “ copyright Image courtesy of ESPN
As Malcolm Jenkins put together, the powerful Black Lives Matter videos ESPYs
