Richard Sherman doubled down on his stances regarding race and Black Lives Matter during an interview with The Undefeated. Sherman says that the league nor his teammates don’t tell him to tone it down, they only caution him on understanding the issues fully. That’s ironic.
You’ve always been outspoken on social issues. Has anybody from your team or the league ever asked you to tone it down?
No. No one has ever spoken to me about quieting down. Our team has always been supportive of how I speak my mind. They only caution me on understanding the issues fully and not going off the cuff.
Richard Sherman gives his thoughts on black on black crime and says white athletes don’t have to step up.
What about the white and nonblack players? Do you think they should feel the same obligation as the black players?
I guess, in some respects, just as human beings.
We hear a lot about Black Lives Matter. But I think race was created. I think everybody is a human being first and then the color of their skin wouldn’t matter if nobody told you it mattered, if that makes any sense.
I don’t think it’s the white players’ obligation to speak up. I think it would be nice to show some unity within our league. But it truly hits home for a lot of the African-American players who are from these environments where people are getting killed.
What is your opinion of the Black Lives Matter movement?
It’s hard to formulate an opinion and generalize because they have several different messages. Some of them are peaceful and understandable and some of them are very radical and hard to support. Any time you see people who are saying, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ and then saying it’s time to kill police, then it is difficult to stand behind that logic. They are generalizing police just like they are asking police not to generalize us. It is very hypocritical. So, in that respect, I find it difficult to fully support that movement.
I stand by what I said that All Lives Matter and that we are human beings. And speaking to police, I want African-Americans and everybody else treated decently. I want them treated like human beings. And I also want the police treated like human beings. I don’t want police officers just getting knocked off in the street who haven’t done anything wrong.
Those are innocent lives.
It’s absurd to say that white athletes don’t have to speak up. It’s become black people’s responsibility to fix racism, police brutality, black on black crime etc.
Richard Sherman does remain optimistic because he believes in the human race but the key is the human race as in everyone has to pitch in to help because all lives matter, right?
Check out the rest of the interview over at The Undefeated.