'This is a humanity issue': Seahawks cancel training camp practice, Carroll calls for social justice
SEATTLE - The Seattle Seahawks canceled their Saturday training camp practice and called for everyone to register to vote as athletes continue demanding social justice across America.
Head Coach Pete Carroll, in an intimate news conference, addressed the injustices he's seen players go through during his 50-plus year career, and called for other coaches in the league to be more vocal about these issues.
"It's just an incredible offseason. Never before this year has it been so deep and so rich in the exchanges with our players how they have taken this opportunity to teach us about the experience to live in America."
Carroll spoke about the 'privileges' of being a White coach, coaching for diverse teams over his coaching career, and the growth he's seen from his Seahawks players, speaking out about social issues happening in the U.S. for many Black Americans.
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"Racism has got to be out the door, it's got to be gone. And we need to figure out a way to get that done," said Carroll.
Carroll mentioned the heartfelt day of the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, an actor who once portrayed Jackie Robinson, the March on Washington, and the uprising after the deaths of Black men shot by police, including George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, and Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI.
Carroll said during his 15-minute news conference how proud, but heartbroken he was to see his players stand up for human rights that he said himself as a White person, could never fully understand.
"They're living scared to death. We have to get it stopped now. We have to be the change to get that done," said Carroll.
Carroll called to action other league coaches to vocalize support for their teams and players, addressing the 'humanity issue'.
"This is a humanity issue. Our players are screaming at us: 'Can you hear me, can you feel me?' They just want to be accepted like our white families want to be. It's no different - because we're all the same," said Carroll.
Seahawks players took to social media supporting the move on Saturday.