Aaron Boone is deeply invested in the Black Lives Movement, even though he himself is not Black.
The Yankees manager, who has two adopted children from Haiti — Jeanel and Sergot — made that abundantly clear Friday when a reporter asked him what Black Lives Matter meant to him. Boone, wearing a BLM shirt, delivered an emotional response:
“Even though we’re going through some dark times, that at the end of this we’re better for it.”
Aaron Boone, who has two adopted sons from Haiti, was emotional when asked how important Black Lives Matter is to him and his family. pic.twitter.com/h0lLK1LlWX
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 28, 2020
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“I would just say … I know I’m talking to a lot of people out there. It’s been a hard and heavy year. And a heartbreaking year in so many ways. For my family too. But I think that’s the case for a lot of people of all different backgrounds and races. So my prayer is just that we continue to, even though we’re going through some dark times, that at the end of this, we’re better. We’re better for it. And that’s my continued prayer.”
Boone is far from the only sports figure to weigh in on the issue of social justice and racial inequality. NBA teams on Wednesday decided to boycott their respective playoff games, following the example of the Bucks. The boycotts were a form of protest against racial injustice following the police shooting Aug. 23 of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis.
Two-thirds of the 30 MLB teams joined the NBA in demonstrating and protesting against racial injustice. NFL, NHL, MLS and college football teams also followed the NBA’s lead in a show of solidarity. They’re all part of a series of national protests against police brutality and calls for reforms in police training and accountability.
