Richard Sherman Gives Well-Crafted Analysis of George Floyd Protests on Twitter
By Nick Porr
Richard Sherman is one of the most respected and revered players in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers star is a three-time First Team All-Pro cornerback as well as a Stanford graduate, and is one of the most intelligent players in the league currently.
At the moment, city streets across the United States are filled with protestors following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a police officer while in his custody. Over the past few days, athletes have been taking to social media to share their support. On Sunday, Richard Sherman shared one of the best responses yet.
When will the response be justice? Racism has been around forever and too many excuses have been made for it. If you are sitting by watching it and judging the reaction you are part of the problem with what is going on because you allow yourself to overlook the cause.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 31, 2020
As protests erupt across the United States, those on the periphery have responded with a variety of reactions. Some on the outside have criticized the protests after some protestors turned to looting, which Sherman responded to brilliantly. People focusing on how those are reacting to the death of Floyd are losing view of the cause for the protests: an innocent black man was killed by a police officer. He wasn't the first one. People are rightfully angry.
Unarmed and Black is not a crime and should not be treated as such. I will not argue or engage in discussion with individuals who cannot understand that basic premise. Basic fairness and justice is all that has been asked for and it has not be given
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 31, 2020
Sherman continued to explain his point of view on Twitter in further posts. The most recent comment he posted was an emphatic statement of persistence as the Black Lives Matter movement continues to push for rights in America.
My profession nor my education change the fact that I’m a black man in America and to that end I will continue to fight for equality for the ppl that are treated unjust in the country. And if that offends you or makes you uncomfortable then maybe we are starting to make progress
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 31, 2020
Sherman may be one of the wealthiest and most educated athletes in the NFL, but he is still just as affected by racism as every other black American is. Seeing him take a stand on Twitter is an inspiration as protestors continue to fight for equality across the country.