The New Orleans Saints and the Players Coalition will use the 2020 season to uplift the voices and experiences of Black women through a season-long series #SayHerName initiative.
Saints players like Malcolm Jenkins, Demario Davis, and Terron Armstead produced a video that was tweeted out by several players throughout the day with the #SayHerName hashtag — which specifically mentioned Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in her apartment by Louisville police officers in March.
“We as Saints want to utilize our platform this season for meaningful change,” the players said in the video, taking turns reciting the lines. “Not to distract from issues. Not to stick to sports. But to work together as teammates for meaningful change. Our goal is to raise awareness around the current state of Black women in America.
“When it comes to the broader conversation of social justice, Black women are usually left out — as is evidenced in the case of Breonna Taylor. We are failing to acknowledge the intersecting impacts of racism and sexism of Black women.”
On game day, each player will wear a #SayHerName decal on their helmets as well as a t-shirt that highlights that week’s victim. These decals and shirts can be sold on the team store to continue raising funds for each cause.
According to the team, players will have a roundtable discussion each week this season about issues related to Black women and their experiences.
Those roundtable talks will be: Week 3: Black women and education; Week 5: Black women and healthcare; Week 7: Black women and domestic violence; Week 10: Black women and the intersection of oppression; Week 11: Black women, sports and media; Week 15: Black women, social justice and racial equality; and Week 16: Black women and raising the next generation of Black boys.
“We believe that uplifting the voices of Black women will help lift up all women, and will uplift our country as a whole,” Davis said. “That’s the stance we’re taking as a team.”
