On Thursday Alabama offensive lineman Chris Owens took to Twitter to discuss his feelings on the recent events that have occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin with the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Owens, who has not backed down from facing such issues in the past, detailed his opinions on where racial equality stands in America, and how the recent effects have shaped him.
“I am fed up. People who look like me are fed up,” read Owen’s post. “As a country we should all be tired of history constantly repeating itself. We are sick and tired of the same thing over and over and over again with no one being held accountable for their actions. If I don’t have this Alabama script A on my chest and in my life then guess what… I’m a 22 year old black young man in America who looks no different than any other black men. I have no identity other than the color of my skin regardless of my accomplishments in life.
“The words of (Doc Rivers) have resonated with me extremely when he said ‘It’s amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back.’ It’s up to us to make the changes in this country by putting the right people in positions to make those decisions. It’s up to us to let our voices be as loud as they can and continue to drive home the demands we have from this country. If we don’t create change in America then we will continue to live in a state of not being equal to the people who are supposed to protect us.
“We shouldn’t have to live in fear of red and blue lights pulling up behind us in our cars or an officer in uniform approaching us and just praying we make it out of the interaction alive or in the same condition that we entered in with. All we want is equality.
“Not to be better than others, but to be equal to them.”
This is not the first time a member of the Alabama football team has taken a stance and spoken out against racial inequality within the country. Back in June, a number of members of the Crimson Tide including quarterback Mac Jones, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and even head coach Nick Saban came together to make a video, penned by offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
The entire sports world has also come to a halt following the death of Blake as the NBA, MLB, NHL and WNBA all decided to boycott/postpone its games on Thursday.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
