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Premier League is altering uniform kits to recognize Black Lives Matter

By Josh Hill

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: Anfield Stadium, the home Liverpool Football Club during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic lockdown at Anfield on April 20, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Amid speculation that some coronavirus related cases in Liverpool could be linked to the Champions League match at Anfield on March 11, the mayor of Madrid has said it was a mistake to allow 3,000 Atletico fans to travel to the game. Liverpool F.C. has led the Premier League since the time major sporting events were suspended in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: Anfield Stadium, the home Liverpool Football Club during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic lockdown at Anfield on April 20, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Amid speculation that some coronavirus related cases in Liverpool could be linked to the Champions League match at Anfield on March 11, the mayor of Madrid has said it was a mistake to allow 3,000 Atletico fans to travel to the game. Liverpool F.C. has led the Premier League since the time major sporting events were suspended in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) /
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The Premier League is showing perhaps the strongest in-game support for Black Lives Matter of any sports league. 

As protests against police brutality continue to sweep the globe, support for the Black Lives Matter movement remains on the rise. There has been a complete tonal shift in the last month when it comes to professional sports leagues, specifically in North America, embracing protests.

In the past, leagues like MLB and NHL shied away from the protests with others, like the NFL, going as far as to essentially condemn the protests with policies that fined players for peacefully joining in on-field protests.

It took four years since Colin Kaepernick first knelt during the national anthem, and pressure from current superstars of the game, for the NFL to finally get onboard. It won’t be the only league to embrace and encourage on-field protests by players. The Premier League seems to be setting the bar for what league support of its players and the movement should look like.

In addition to the support towards the Black Lives Matter movement that individual clubs have already shown, the league as a whole has made a sweeping gesture to bring attention to the cause.

Premier League is replacing names on uniforms with Black Lives Matter

When the league returns to action, “Black Lives Matter” will replace player names on the back of their jerseys. Additionally, each kit will have the BLM patch attached to it for the remainder of the season.

https://www.premierleague.com/news/1680826?sf235004418=1

It’s a tremendous show of support, but what makes this stand out is that it’s a league-wide mandate. Rather than have teams and club owners individually dictate how to protest, the Premier League is using the full power of its platform to unilaterally spotlight the conversation around change that is happening worldwide.

While the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black Americans have fueled the protests in Stateside, the Premier League showing support is a reminder that Black Lives Matter is a global movement.

The duality of honoring Black Lives Matter with a season-long patch is a constant and extremely visual reminder to other sports leagues — and to those helping the cause now — that the fight is not something that is won in a week.

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