Southern Miss football players won’t practice in protest of racial injustice
Members of the Southern Miss football team released a statement Friday morning, saying they will not practice today in protest of “instances of racial justice” across the country.
The decision by USM players follows similar steps taken by other college teams, including Mississippi State, to not practice as a statement of protest following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by police there on Aug. 23.
“We live by a brotherhood,” the USM players said in a statement. “We hold ourselves to high standards on and off the field of play. We cannot be silent to instances of racial injustice in our country any longer.
“We are not practicing today. Instead, we are standing up against racial injustice and extending our brotherhood to actively speak out against racism.”
The players plan to march from M.M. Roberts Stadium at 5 p.m. on Friday and stand in front of the campus in Hattiesburg.
The USM football team is set to play the first game of the season that features two FBS programs at 8 p.m. on Sept. 3 against South Alabama in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Players in the WNBA and NBA both refused to play games recently in protest of the Blake shooting.
This story was originally published August 28, 2020 at 11:48 AM.
