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          Bengals deliver anti-racism statement: 'Must be catalysts for change'

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterAug 29, 2020, 06:34 PM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          CINCINNATI -- Bengals players, coaches and ownership visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on Saturday to deliver a statement against racism.

          Center Trey Hopkins and rookie quarterback Joe Burrow delivered the team statement in front of the steps of the center in downtown Cincinnati, which is less than a third of a mile away from Paul Brown Stadium.

          "It is each of our responsibility to effect change in our communities, not only for us but for those yet to come," Burrow said in a video released by the team. "We cannot turn a blind eye to the racism still experienced in this country.

          "This is not an issue of politics but a fight for equality and life. If this nation is to ever reach the goals that it has promised its citizens, we must be catalysts for change."

          Bengals president Mike Brown was also in attendance. He and the entire ownership group, which includes Brown's daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Troy Blackburn, met with players Friday to discuss topics such as racial inequality and social injustice.

          The team also took a tour of the center.

          Earlier in the week, Bengals veterans Carlos Dunlap and A.J. Green spoke about the need for support from the top of the franchise when speaking out and addressing those topics. On Friday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor described the team's internal conversations with the players as "difficult" and "uncomfortable."

          After Friday's practice, Hopkins spoke at length about the topic and conversations within the franchise over the past several days and said it was important that everyone at the franchise was aligned on the topic.

          "We want to move unified," Hopkins said Friday. "We don't want it just to be an issue for the Black players on the team. We don't want it to just be an issue for the players. We don't want it to just be an issue for us and Zac.

          "We want everyone in the building. This affects us all. So when calling for top-down leadership to be there, it's because it should be something that's important to all of us. And I think it is important to all of us."