How the Broncos plan to do their part in the fight against racial injustice

DENVER — “Horrifying.”

Much like the rest of the world, that was Kareem Jackson’s reaction when he saw the video of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, die to asphyxiation when Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, forcefully dug his knee into Floyd’s neck on Memorial Day.

“We have to try to promote some change because we can’t continue to live in a world where those types of things happen,” Jackson said on Tuesday afternoon, speaking out against the racial injustice that exists in the world. “The conversation has to start now and we have to put some action behind the conversation because if not, those things will continue to happen. That’s definitely unacceptable. It’s horrifying to see those types of things.”

“It’s just sad,” Jackson added.

The first step for the Broncos in the bigger-than-football fight took place on Tuesday morning. Instead of the typical virtual offseason football meetings that the Broncos are holding to prepare for the season, President and CEO Joe Ellis held team meetings to talk about the issue.

“I think today was great for us as a team. To start that dialogue,” Jackson said. “We kind of split it up offensively and defensively. It was great for Joe to be able to do that for us and also give us a chance to talk and let it be heard how we feel.”

“My takeaway from it was we have to figure out what we can do—not only as a team but as an organization,” Jackson elaborated. “How can we get out and how can we impact the Denver community?”

Vic Fangio will hold a team meeting on Thursday to continue the conversation as well.

“We can talk about it until we’re blue in the face,” Jackson said, insinuating that talking amongst themselves isn’t enough. “What can we do next? I think that’s the big thing for us is trying to figure out what’s the next step, which we can promote and do things the right way when it comes to this social injustice.”

Just hours after the initial team meeting, Jackson already had an idea brewing.

“Maybe we can get out and put together a march as a team — or something like that. I feel like we have to get out in the community and be heard,” Jackson said, explaining his idea. “Just with the opportunities that we have as professional athletes, I think it’s huge for us to be heard and it’s huge for us to be out in the communities so everyone can see that and see us and know that we stand behind them and as a team, we’re not only unified on the field, but we’re unified off the field as well. I think it’s huge that we kind of get out as a team and as an organization and get out in these communities and try to do some things that are helping the cause.”

However, with COVID-19 still very prevalent across the country, and many Broncos players, including Jackson, still outside of Colorado, Jackson admitted it could be a challenge to bring everyone together for a march.

The 32-year old safety suggested his teammates in Denver and “whatever guys that can make it back in town” could put on the march.

“It may be a thing where we need to get out and maybe put together our own march so these kids and everybody in these communities can actually see us and see we actually there to help them,” Jackson stated. “We’re all on the same page with them. A lot of times, they can kind of feel like we’re not connected to what’s going on in the real world. I know a lot of people may think that, but at the same time, we’re affected as well.”

“I think it may be a thing where we need to get out and try to put together a march here in the next couple of weeks just to let everyone know we’re impacted by this as well and we’re there to support whomever we need to support,” Jackson added. “We definitely want to be there every step of the way with them.”

This isn’t an idea Jackson wants to sleep on, either. After the media Zoom call, Jackson planned to talk with a couple of teammates to kick around some ideas because “we have to put some action behind our words.”

“We just got to continue to try to take steps in the right direction,” Jackson said. “I feel like as a team, as an organization, we have to make a huge impact in the community when it comes to this issue.”

As a black man himself, racial profiling, unfortunately, isn’t new to Jackson. Before joining the Broncos in 2019, Kareem played for the Houston Texans and the University of Alabama after growing up in Georgia and felt the injustice throughout his life.

“For me, it’s the fact that still having to be racially profiled regardless of who I am,” Jackson said, opening up on his own personal experiences. “When I take that uniform off, I’m just another regular citizen. I’m just another regular African American. I’ve been in several situations in which I’ve been racially profiled by cops.”

When playing for the Texans, Jackson was once pulled over by the police in Houston.

“Once they walk up to the car and see me, they instantly ask, ‘Whose car is this?’ For me, it’s an insult because just right off the bat, what makes you ask me that question — like I can afford this type of car? Granted, obviously, you don’t know who I am, but because I’m an African American driving a nice car, what makes you think I can’t afford this car? I think that’s the biggest issue. That’s the most obvious issue,” Jackson said with pain in his voice.

Jackson believes the Broncos, and locker rooms across the NFL, can be a great example to the world as they are extremely diverse.

“We need to get out as a team and show that we have everybody in the locker room from all walks of life to kind of go out and show that. We’re not only unified on the field, but we’re unified off the field. We can all be brothers off the field,” Jackson stated. “I think with the community seeing us and getting out and trying to promote things the right way and let them know, obviously, that we’re there for them and this thing has affected us as well and I think that can start to help the healing process just amongst our community because it’s a sad time right now what we’re going through and obviously sports is one of the biggest things in which everybody has to be on the same page.”

“And for us, the number of guys we have on the field at one time, we all have to be on the same page. So why can’t we be on the same page when it comes to getting out in the community and doing something that’s a great cause and help bring everybody together,” Jackson added. “For me, it’s all about trying to bridge the gap right now—and it’s obvious that there’s a gap. We have to try to bridge the gap in some type of way.”

Because of the massive protests that have swept the country since Floyd’s death on May 25, Jackson is “definitely more hopeful” now that change will actually take place. But he knows this is an issue that’s been going on for hundreds of years and it’s far from over.

“I know at my age, being 32, I probably won’t see any change, but for me, it’s all about what we can change for the next generation,” Jackson said. “For them to not have to go out and not be able to wear hoodies at night or to not be able to ride their bikes late at night or just whatever. To drive nice cars and be racially profiled because they’re African American and stuff like that. I’m definitely more hopeful now, but we have to continue to take the necessary steps in which we can be heard so these things don’t continue to occur.”

“We shouldn’t have to go out and be in public and look over our shoulder just because of our race,” Jackson said. “That’s definitely one of the things that have to come to a stop.”

To prevent future minority generations from having to look over their shoulder out in public, the Broncos plan to step out into the public to do what they can to end racial injustice.