I wanted to shared this post by Jarrod Barnes. Why now? Well… I just found this article and it resonated with me and it has good lessons to share with today’s youth, athletes, coaches, referees, parents, spectators and community. My biggest takeaway from this article is to not let life pass you by and hope it gets better for people who suffer inequalities, especially if you are not the one suffering. One way or another get involved and help your community find equality and treat your neighbors with love. Show respect and care for one another and bring your fellow man or woman up – help them enjoy sports and humanity. I hope you find ways in your community to make sure every person is treated equally. I know that I do my best as a coach to do this and I know that I have blind spots, but the more we talk about equality and inequality… the more we can work together to make sports a better experience for everybody. Check out Jarrod’s article below… the link to the complete article is here and at the bottom of the page..
Through My Eyes: A Sideline Perspective On Racial Inequality
- Author: Jarrod Barnes
- June 10, 2020
My spirit has been heavy and troubled so deeply that it is hard to explain. I write this open letter to you not only in reaction to this week’s events, but to be proactive, with the intent to spread awareness, deploy empathy, and elicit an authentic form of activism from each and every one of you.
While working for an NFL franchise has presented an incredible opportunity to advance my professional career, that has not been a source of motivation. I accepted this opportunity to show that it’s possible for a Black man to love others well, lead with kindness, act with integrity, and execute at a high-level.
Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and the countless others who have been victims of hate and a flawed system – I write this letter because they cannot.
I come from a background of a White mother and a Black father, where, unfortunately, statistics had their say before I was ever born and I joined the nearly 58% percent of Black children living in fatherless homes. Growing up, I watched my mother experience rejection from her white relatives and from my father’s Black family members because of her decision to be in a relationship with a Black man.
Read here for the full article – https://thesidelineperspective.com/through-my-eyes-a-sideline-perspective-on-racial-inequality/