Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho Called For ‘Justice For George Floyd’ After Scoring A Goal

The past five days have been defined by protests nationwide against the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer that had his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd pleaded for his life. It was just the latest example of an unarmed black person being killed by a police officer and has sparked massive protests in cities across the country.

Some of these have been headed up by athletes like Stephen Jackson, a childhood friend of Floyd’s who called him “Twin,” and Jaylen Brown, who organized a protest in his hometown of Atlanta at the Martin Luther King Jr Center on the east side of downtown. The movement hasn’t just affected athletes stateside, as some Bundesliga players have used their platform to amplify the message globally.

On Sunday, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho scored a goal to give his team a 2-0 lead and then removed his jersey to reveal a shirt with “Justice for George Floyd” written on it.

Sancho finished the game with a hat-trick in a tremendous performance in a 6-1 win, and made sure he used the opportunity to keep the message of seeking justice for black people at the forefront of the conversation. He wasn’t alone this weekend in voicing support for Floyd on the pitch in Germany, as others offered remembrances of Floyd on armbands or knelt in support of the movement.

For many, sports are the distraction, and it’s precisely for that reason that demonstrations and continued messaging from athletes during games is so important. Violence against the black community isn’t something they get to escape at any time, and as such it’s important to remind audiences of that uncomfortable truth at all times so it’s inescapable to them as well. The more the majority is confronted with these images and messages, the better chance we actually step forward and make the calls for change.