Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace canceled planned team meetings and individual sessions to recognize Blackout Tuesday.
Nagy gave the floor to players, including the social justice reform committee, in an effort to pause and allow for productive conversations around the topics of racism and police brutality.
Chicago has been witness to several nights of protests since a white police officer was filmed kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis.
Team chairman George McCaskey said his team is committed to being “an active participant in change.”
“A week ago another unarmed African-American man died at the hands of a white police officer. We are witnessing the anger and frustration play out in protests across the nation, including Chicago,” McCaskey said.
“We must do more than wring our hands and hope it doesn’t happen again. As an organization, we have addressed it internally by offering unconditional support to our family of staff, coaches and players, and today Ryan Pace and Coach Nagy spent the allotted two hours of team meeting time listening to and healing together with our players and the coaching staff.
“Through our voice, our actions and our resources, it is our obligation to lead. We will continue to work with our player-led social justice committee to provide funding and exposure to local organizations dedicated to empowering communities that have been oppressed for far too long.”
