Miami Dolphins Players Announce They Will Stay in Locker Room During Both Anthems

It hasn’t been easy up to date following the outbreak of coronavirus, which brought about havoc in professional sports, causing postponement and cancelation. In response to curb the spread of the virus, the NFL has continuously kept on introducing new contingency plans to ensure the coaches, players, employees, and fans are safe.

Early on, the NFL insisted that they were adamant about seeing the 2021 season happen, and they had the support of the franchise owners backing them up.

The NFL 2021 season is kicking off amid the COVID-19 pandemic after months of preparations to avoid the cancelation of the entire 2021 season. The NFL still has more issues to deal with, especially with players who intend to protest against social injustice and racial inequality.

Their efforts to create a better environment for players who desire to protest police brutality, racial inequality, and social injustice against people of color, particularly black people, Seem unimpressive for the Dolphins, and they have decided to raise their voice.

On Thursday, The Miami Dolphins Players announced they would stay in the locker room during both anthems for their game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Calling out for action to be taken rather than symbolic gestures seems to be all we get every time we witness police brutality, social injustice, and racial inequality.

We expect Dolphins to be in their locker room and not in the field during the playing of both the anthems: The Star-Spangled Banner, the U.S. national anthem, and Lift Every Voice and Sing, which is the Black national anthem.

The announcement was communicated through social media. It is a powerful video where Dolphins players read a poem together explaining the reasons that led them to decide not to participate in the national anthem ahead of their season opener game.

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel during the national anthem to create awareness of racial and social injustice and police brutality. Dolphins players were among the first to follow suit with former players Michael Thomas, Kenny Stills, Jelani Jenkins, and Arian Foster.

In the past, the Dolphins have participated at the forefront of the athlete activism movement. They won’t be stopping anytime soon until change happens for real this time.

But for the change to happen, the NFL and franchise owners must participate in seeing the reforms come to reality, including police brutality, healthcare, public education, and prison reform, and the pressure will keep on mounting on them.

George Floyd’s death in the custody of Minneapolis police could have been prevented. The shooting of Jacob Blake seven times at a close range by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, would not have happened if the reforms we immediately enforced.

Sadly, all we do is rallying in protest for months condemning police brutality, racial and social discrimination, and no change.

We hope that change will happen for once and for all and that we can love one another despite race, religion, ethnic.