The shallow debate surrounding whether it's acceptable for NFL players to kneel during the national anthem has overshadowed the message of racial justice they've trying to convey. Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins took an opportunity Wednesday to explain the purpose of the protests without saying a single word.
Unsurprisingly, a large media gaggle showed up to Eagles' practice one day after President Trump had disinvited the Super Bowl champions from the White House. Jenkins, one of the leaders of the Players Coalition, was peppered with questions about Trump's sudden cancelation.
Instead of answering them, Jenkins held up several signs that contain statistics and information about mass incarceration and police brutality in the black community. Some of them also reference NFL players' work in these areas, including lobbying efforts from Patriots Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Matthew Salter and Johnson Bademosi to raise the minimum age a child can be held criminally responsible and tried in juvenile court.
Instead of speaking, Malcolm Jenkins holds up signs at his locker to get his message across. pic.twitter.com/mg9JdhFgYZ
— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) June 6, 2018Malcolm Jenkins responded to questions today by holding up a series of signs. He did not speak. Here are a few. pic.twitter.com/I01lfMwVgq
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 6, 2018Malcolm Jenkins of the Eagles held a non-verbal media session and mentioned several Patriots players... pic.twitter.com/g6esI970pX
— Andy from WEEI (@AndyWEEI) June 6, 2018In February, McCourty penned an op-ed in the Boston Globe along with Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft about the organization's support for criminal justice reform. In it, they argue for rehabilitating young criminal defendants instead of placing them on trial.
"It should be obvious that very young children cannot understand the court process and lack the reasoning to participate fully in their own defense," the article reads. "In fact, mere exposure to the justice system can be particularly harmful — both to them and to society. Seven-year-olds would be better served by agencies like child welfare or mental health."
Gov. Charlie Baker recently signed several sweeping changes to criminal justice laws in Massachusetts, including raising from seven to 12 the minimum age a child can be tried in juvenile court. Youth that were incarcerated are 67 percent more likely to return to jail than young offenders who avoid going behind bars.
The efforts of McCourty and some of his teammates are an example of the social work players have done to accompany their protests. As Jenkins demonstrated, they're not just kneeling for attention. They're kneeling for a cause.
