Titans Release Video to "Continue the Conversation on Race"
The Tennessee Titans posted a video message to their social media platforms on Monday regarding racism, injustice and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Titans filmed the video at Fisk University in Nashville. Established in 1865, six months after the Civil War, Fisk University is a private, historically black institution of 853 students.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, general manager Jon Robinson and several players, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, wide receiver A.J. Brown, linebacker Raashan Evans and offensive linemen Ben Jones and Taylor Lewan, delivered personal messages and read quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglas, former President Barack Obama and others.
Members of the Titans have been vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement in recent weeks as protests continue across the county. Tannehill especially has been up front about his willingness to listen and educate himself about African American history and racism.
During a June 10 press conference, the quarterback said change will require awareness, education, discussion and understanding.
“More people are having an awakening to how deep it really is, how many layers of injustice there are with the court systems and policing,” Tannehill said. “This push is the straw that broke the camel’s back. It’s been happening for far too long, and it’s gotten to the point where enough is enough.
“Once we have that education and awareness, we can all work together toward finding that equality that I would hope we’d all want.”
To Vrabel, professional athletes and coaches have a powerful platform to speak from, and using it now is more important than ever before.
“The things that we say are going to carry more weight than the things other people say,” Vrabel said during a June 11 press conference. “The people that don’t have that same voice or platform, we have to speak for them and we have to make sure that we’re caring, and we’re leading the charge for them. I think that I would say that more players have done that this time and I’m proud of them.”
With the video, the Titans certainly put that platform to good use again.
