Players Coalition Co-Founder Malcolm Jenkins: Listen to one another, lend support to those who need it
Like many Americans, I became unsettled watching video after video, on the news and social media, of people unnecessarily losing their lives during encounters with law enforcement. After seeing the videos of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, I decided that I would do my part in trying to make the changes I wanted to see.
Over the past two years, I've joined other players across the country to educate ourselves on the issues that concern us all as Americans, especially as African Americans. We've gone on police ride-alongs, visited Capitol Hill to meet with legislators, and met with community advocates about grassroots issues that impact millions of Americans. In the past six months, we've been able to take all that we've learned to NFL owners and team executives who have leaned in to hear more about these issues. What we have learned is that the problems plaguing our country are not about individuals. The problems are systemic, therefore requiring a systemic approach. One in three Americans has a criminal record. Our criminal justice system has unleashed a fiscal nightmare on the country and has decimated low income communities and communities of color. Locking people up is not the answer and does not make our communities safer. A group of players formed a Players Coalition back in February 2017 in order to collaborate with experts and organizations around the country, using our voices to address criminal justice reform, police and community relations and education and economic advancement.
People hear criminal justice reform and aren't quite sure what that means. Every night, there are hundreds of thousands of people who sit in jails for non-convicted arrests simply because they can't pay bail. People are being given long mandatory sentences for non-violent misdemeanors such as drug possession, while others are now profiting in key states where it has been legalized. Kids as young as 15 are being given what amounts to a life sentence for being a bystander in a non-violent crime. There are more than 7,000 people sentenced to life sentences as children, who daily hope and pray that one day they will receive a chance at parole. More than 2,000 more people received 50-year sentences as children -- basically a life sentence. Over 80% of people in this group are people of color.
When people are released from jail -- even those who weren't convicted -- they lose jobs or opportunities to make a decent income. Through reform, we can make the system more fair and equal for everyone, regardless of gender, race, religion or creed. Through reform, we can redirect funds toward rehabilitation, mental health, education and training. Through reform, we can hold our police accountable, while also giving them more support to properly train officers how to manage racial bias and emotional intelligence when faced with the tough challenges they deal with every day.
Through the NFL's platform, you will see and hear more from the people who are impacted, the people who are working toward change and the people you can support. By having the courage to listen to some serious issues that impact millions of Americans, we can be there for one another. I am a firm believer that people, once informed, will take action and lend support to those who need it.
God Bless
