Malcolm Jenkins: I Will Not Let the NFL's National Anthem Policy Silence Me
After the NFL owners voted on a new national anthem policy, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins is speaking out against it.
Jenkins took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the new policy saying, "What NFL owners did today was thwart the players' constitutional rights to express themselves and use our platform to draw attention to social injustices like racial inequality in our country."
The safety went on to say, "I will not let it silence me or stop me from fighting," listing issues he wants to continue to support like creating a fairer criminal justice system and ending police brutality.
The new anthem policy gives players the option to stay in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem. For those on the field, they must stand and "show respect for the flag and the Anthem." Teams will be fined for those who "do not show proper respect."
During the 2016 season, Jenkins started raising his fist during the national anthem. He said last November that he would not continue raising his fist after he was encouraged by the league's pledge to contribute around $100 million to charities and causes that are important to African-American communities.
Jenkins also formed thePlayers Coalition with former NFL player Anquan Boldin as a way to take action against some of the injustices he has spoken out about.
The safety ended his Instagram post by saying, "This has never been about taking a knee, raising a fist or anyone's patriotism but doing what we can to effect real change for real people."
