Orioles players, staff stand in solidarity with victims of racial injustice

As protests continue across the country and the world in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd, many Orioles players and prospects have voiced their support for the Black Lives Matter movement while advocating for change in their communities.

Dwight Smith Jr. attended a protest in Johns Creek, Ga., to raise awareness for social injustice.

Smith also took part in Negro League Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick’s roundtable discussion on MLB Network Radio titled “Baseball and Black America.” He was joined by Orioles reliever Mychal Givens, as well as fellow Major Leaguers Josh Bell, Lorenzo Cain, Delino DeShields, Jr., and Taylor Hearn.

“I want to be able to look back at this, in 2020, 20 to 30 years from now, and look at the TV like, ‘Wow, I was a part of that. Like, I helped promote that change,’” Smith shared during the discussion. “That’s what I want to see, for the kids younger than us, and my future kids.”

Inspired by Smith’s activism, a young fan showed his support for the Black Lives Matter movement with a homemade sign that read “I stand with Smitty.”

Richie Martin, whose grandfather, Walter “Bancy” Thomas, played in the Negro Leagues and was teammates with Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige in 1945 with the Kansas City Monarchs, took part in #SocialReformSunday on Instagram, drawing inspiration from quotes by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Cedric Mullins participated in a memorial march for George Floyd.

Smith, Martin, and Mullins all participated in the #Players4BLM social media video with other Black Major Leaguers.

Additionally, Smith, Martin, and Mullins, along with Dillon Tate, each took part in the “We Are Black Men” Instagram challenge, which focuses on building up other Black men instead of tearing each other down.

Asher Wojciechowski and his wife, Alanna, issued a powerful statement on Twitter, acknowledging George Floyd and the many victims of racial violence in America, while pledging to amplify Black voices and to be allies in the fight against injustice.

Similarly, David Hess and his wife, Devin, made a statement vowing to use their voices to combat racism, while acknowledging that silence in the face of injustice is not an option.

Bruce Zimmermann, a Baltimore native, attended a protest in Columbia, Md.

Shelton Perkins voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter movement on Twitter.

During the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias joined baseball operations representatives from all 29 other clubs in displaying “Black Lives Matter” placards in a symbolic gesture of unity. General managers across the league accompanied the gesture with donations totaling $1.1 million to one of five organizations addressing social injustices. Elias contributed to The Jackie Robinson Foundation, which addresses the achievement gap in higher education. His donation was matched by the Orioles Charitable Foundation, which was then further matched by Major League Baseball. Other organizations benefiting from donations from across the league include Campaign Zero, Color of Change, Equal Justice Initiative, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

John Angelos joined ESPN Radio to speak about the Orioles’ statement about racial violence and injustice, as well as the challenges of being Black in America.

Many other Orioles players, prospects, and staff participated in #BlackOutTuesday on Instagram to protest racism and police brutality, and the organization issued the following statement in support of Black Lives Matter:

Nearly six decades ago, at another low point in our country's ongoing struggle to understand and rectify the racial injustice our fellow Americans have endured since the inception of our nation, the author James Baldwin warned, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

Today, as our friends and neighbors experience the same mistreatment of generations ago in the form of engrained, unyielding, and institutionally-discriminatory systems that deny justice and equality, and provide in their place a steady supply of brutalizing misconduct, compounded in some cases by voices that fan the flames of violence and racism, it is imperative that we face the past and present.

Dr. King said, "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.”

The entire Orioles family expresses solidarity with the families of all who have had their lives destroyed and communities disrupted by the forces of racial bias and violent abuse. With enduring understanding, empathy, and a peaceful resolve, we are committed to advocate for the change our country needs today and to root out racism and prejudice of any kind as we strive to make a better America in the future.

Black Lives Matter.

In light of recent events surrounding social injustice, the Orioles are committed to addressing racial biases and supporting the African American community. The entire Orioles organization recognizes that words must be coupled with actions to overcome racial injustice in America, and so we have updated our community resources page to reflect the needs of our community, including mental health resources, educational resources, organizations to support, and ways to get involved. For more information on these topics, please visit orioles.com/communityresources.