Chris Long made very loud statement, without ever having to say a word. He took a stand against bigotry, racism and hatred. He did all of this by simply placing his arm around Malcolm Jenkins as he stood in protest. Through this simple action, Long not only displayed true friendship to Jenkins, but also that he was an ally to all of those that feel oppressed. It was a perfect statement and we should all take a lesson from it.
Long is a Charlottesville native and it seems like he wanted to show the entire nation that he stood alongside his hometown.
It wasn’t a fight that Chris Long HAD to fight, it was one that he chose to take on.
CSN Philly: “It’s been a hard week for everybody,” Chris Long said postgame. “It’s not just a hard week for someone being from Charlottesville. It’s a tough week for America.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘Why do athletes get involved in the national anthem protests?’ I’ve said before that I’ll never kneel for an anthem because the flag means something different for everybody in this country, but I support my peers. If you don’t see why you need allies for people that are fighting for equality right now, I don’t think you’ll ever see it.
“Malcolm is a leader and I’m here to show support as a white athlete.”
“I was inspired by a lot of the allies that were there to stand up against hate in my hometown and I wasn’t able to be there to protest or to stand up against hate,” Long said. “People like Heather Heyer gave their life for that and I was inspired by that.
“I just told Malcolm, ‘I’m here for you.’ I think it’s a good time for people that look like me to be there for people that are fighting for equality.”
Jenkins said he was aware Long was going to take part in the demonstration and was appreciative of his teammate’s backing.
“Before the game, he approached me and he wanted to, in his own way, send a message of support,” Jenkins said.
“I think he understands that he could never necessarily know my experience as a black male, but in the light of all that’s going on, as a white male, he understands that he needs to be an ally. He expressed that desire to me, and so I thought it was appropriate to show that gesture of support.”