Anquan Boldin has been making plays in the NFL for a long time, but those that really know him, know his impact has been felt far past the white lines.
Boldin, 37, recently took a very serious trip to Capitol Hill along with fellow NFL players: Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, Detroit Lions defensive back Johnson Bademosi, and former NFL wide receiver Donte Stallworth; to address the same issue that drove ex-49ers QB Colin Kaepernick to kneel before games for the National Anthem last season: The murder of unarmed Black people by police officers in the U.S.A.
“The community I come from wants and needs to know that they are being heard,” Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin said during a forum held Thursday on Capitol Hill. “We want to make sure that you, that those in position to bring positive change, understand the things that we as an African-American community are going through. We certainly do not feel that we’re being heard right now right now, especially when it comes to law enforcement and the way we are being policed. Our neighborhoods are feeling hurt, and they want to see change.”
Boldin is speaking from a sensitive place in his heart. In October 2015, Boldin’s cousin Corey Jones was shot & killed by an uniodentified Florida police officer after his car broke down while coming from playing a show with his church band.
According to Huffington Post, Officer Nouman Raja (who fired 6 shots killing Jones)was charged with one count of manslaughter by culpable negligence, and one count of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm. His trial is scheduled to begin next fall.
That article expands on the players’ visit further:
Boldin came to Congress as part of a group of players that included Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, Detroit Lions defensive back Johnson Bademosi, and former NFL wide receiver and former Huffington Post intern Donte Stallworth. Over three days, the players met with more than a dozen members of Congress from both parties to discuss ways to improve relations between communities and the officers that police them, and potential legislative reforms that could help reduce the number of people ― in particular, African-American men and women ― killed in encounters with police.
There have been 257 people shot and killed in interactions with police officers since the beginning of 2017, according to the Washington Post’s database of police shootings. Sixty-two of them, or 24 percent, were black, even though African Americans make up only 12.5 percent of the overall population. Black Americans “are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers,” according to the Washington Post’s data.
The players called on Congress to push forward with legislation they believe will help address broader issues of discrimination in the criminal justice system ― specifically two pieces of legislation that Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who organized and chaired the forum, have sponsored.
The first, the Fair Chance Act, is commonly known as the “Ban The Box” bill and would ban the federal government from requesting the criminal history of job applicants. The bill has bipartisan support ― along with Cummings, Sen. Corey Booker (D-N.J.), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) also sponsored it. Cummings is planning to re-introduce the legislation as soon as next week.
The second, the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, was introduced last year by Conyers and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). That bill would encourage local law enforcement agencies to adopt performance-based standards to reduce incidents of misconduct through improved training and protocols. It also aims to enhance investigations into misconduct.
This action by professional athletes is necessary to keep the conversation rolling, even when fans and others move on and get tired of it. Trust me, Black people are just as tired.
Boldin himself, commented on the situations getting pushed to the back constantly. Its refreshing to see him passionate to ensure that doesn’t happen:
“We want to see changes in policy,” Boldin said. “We want to know that justice will be served for all.”
“These issues are consistently pushed to the political back burner,” he said. “I believe that by working together, we can not only move it to the political forefront, but we can make measurable, meaningful and sustainable change in our communities.”
Hopefully Boldin’s desires aren’t pipe dreams. The way to change begins with awareness, just like this.
It really is a matter of life and death.
