Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had an epiphany of sorts prior to the team’s national anthem protest this past Sunday. The Seahawks decided to stay in the locker room during the national anthem. Wilson said:
The overall thought for us was to be unified and to really be able to do something in that ultimately – and we’re not stopping now – is to be able encourage different races, different people to come together. It’s never a thing of discouragement. For us we really want, we have this great opportunity to acknowledge something that’s real. Racism in America right now is very, very real.
This was a powerful statement by Wilson as he actually referenced what the protest was about. Racism. The fact is, racism is very real in America and in order for us to have any chance at changing we cannot be afraid to call it what it is.
Flip the page to see Wilson’s full comments courtesy of The Seattle Times.