Nationals and Yankees take a knee before national anthem

The Nationals and Yankees took a knee before the national anthem on Opening Day.

Major League Baseball is doing its part to bring awareness to social justice issues in the country and also the Black Lives Matter movement. There is a “Black Lives Matter” message on the mound Thursday night in the season opener between the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees.

Pregame was a bit odd without fans in the stands, but it did allow for a powerful moment where both teams took a knee before the rendition of the national anthem. A silent stadium made the act one that reflected on the current state of the country as well.

The Nationals and Yankees both took a knee

There is already backlash on social media, but that is to be expected. It should also be noted this knee was taken before the playing of the anthem, so any misguided hate is even further off with this scenario.

Both teams taking a knee was a powerful move and was a simple gesture that goes a long way. Everyone involved stood for the national anthem, so the plan was to avoid any controversy that may arise from that and keep the focus on what matters.

Taking a knee in unison is hopefully something all MLB teams will do as the season begins for the rest of the league on Friday. This shows support for those facing injustice in the country and is not difficult to do. It just requires a unified message expressing MLB and its players are against racial injustice in this country.

There are players around the league expected to kneel during the actual playing of the anthem. Anyone upset with that will have to realize this act is not going away and symbolizes peace over hate.