The Cleveland Browns held what has been the largest national anthem protest so far in the NFL on Monday night when a dozen players knelt in prayer during the anthem before the team's preseason game against the New York Giants.
It was also notable because tight end Seth DeValve became the first white player to fully participate in the protest.
SEE ALSO:Colin Kaepernick still hasn't been signed, so people are rallying in front of NFL headquartersBrowns rookie Jebrill Peppers said after the game that the team's protest was over a wider scope of "racial and social injustices in the world that are going on right now."
Peppers told ESPN, "We just decided to take a knee and pray for the people who have been affected and just pray for the world in general."
The violence of Charlottesville, Virginia partly inspired DeValve to take a knee with his teammates in support of equality, as did the fact his wife is African-American. Talking to Cleveland.com, DeValve said, "I wanted to support my African-American teammates today who wanted to take a knee. We wanted to draw attention to the fact that there's things in this country that still need to change."
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He added, "I myself will be raising children that don't look like me, and I want to do my part as well to do everything I can to raise them in a better environment than we have right now."
During the game, the team issued a formal statement on the protest in which they tried to straddle the line between honoring the anthem and respecting the players' right to express themselves.
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The Browns' protests is the latest in a new round of the anthem protests during the 2017 preseason, which were themselves kicked off by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who began his anthem protests during the 2016 preseason over the growing number of police-involved killings of unarmed African-Americans.
Charlottesville was on the mind of Seattle Seahawks star Michael Bennett when he knelt during the anthem before his team's game on Friday. During his protest on Friday, Bennett was supported by white teammate Justin Britt, who stood beside Bennett and placed his hand on Bennett's shoulder.
Bennett later called on other white players to lend their support, too.
"It would take a white player to really get things changed, because when somebody from the other side understands and they step up and they speak up about it ... it would change the whole conversation. Because when you bring somebody who doesn't have to be a part of [the] conversation making himself vulnerable in front of it, I think when that happens, things will really take a jump."
In a similar sign of support, Chris Long, of the Philadelphia Eagles, put his arm around teammate Malcolm Jenkins when Jenkins, who has been one of the most pro-active NFL players over racial and social injustices, protested during the anthem before their weekend game by raising his fist in the air.
Long, who played high school and college football in Charlottesville, said, "I think it's a good time for people that look like me to be there for people that are fighting for equality."
Meanwhile, the controversy over Colin Kaepernick continues as the quarterback remains unsigned by any NFL team even as more groups continue to protest what they call an intentional effort by NFL teams to avoid signing him.
But if the growing number of protests a year later are any indication, it's clear that Kaepernick's actions are only growing in influence as another football season draws near.
TopicsActivism
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