Duron Harmon on Lions walkout: “We’re not OK. We’re gonna fight against it”

[Roary]

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While it may be hard to imagine the Detroit Lions as trend-setters, they were, in fact, the first team to walk out of work to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Their actions last Tuesday were followed by the Milwaukee Bucks following suit the next day, which caused a larger wave of NBA playoff games being postponed and teams taking days off to talk about social reform.

New Lions safety Duron Harmon told Peter King of NBC’s Football Morning in America that “you could feel the sadness on the team. Disappointment, fear, anger” when he came in last Tuesday morning. A conversation with coach Matt Patricia made it clear the team needed to have an open discussion about the situation, and it grew from there.

“We’re not OK. We’re gonna fight against it,” Harmon said. “Everyone thinks we should just play, but at end of the day we’re role models, and I feel strong we have to act that way. When something is wrong, why wouldn’t we do something to create change? If I am not speaking out and acting when unarmed black men are being killed, then I am no role model. We didn’t do this for people to say: Look at the Detroit Lions! We have a platform, we have the resources. It’s time to use them. . . .

“Football has given me privileges that normal Black men don’t have. So many feel hopeless. I’m privileged, as I said. And I think part of my job in life is to give hope to so many. I really feel God put me here to be a vessel for the hopeless.”

Harmon also didn’t rule out the protests continuing when the regular season started.

“Nothing is ever too much when you’re fighting for basic equality, basic human rights,” he said. “Nothing is off the table. Can I sit here and say we’ll boycott games? I can’t say that. We’ll get to a decision like that when we get there. It’s a fluid situation. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know if there’s going to be another unarmed black man murdered by police. Resisting arrest does not deserve the death penalty. Resisting arrest should not get you seven bullets in the back. I can tell you this: We’re not going to stop. We’re not going away.”

And while they may not get as much attention — an August training camp practice doesn’t carry the same weight as a playoff game or a regular season game in other sports — the Lions were the first to stand up, starting a movement.