NFL Lions Tackle Social Injustice, Will Open Ford Field As Election Support Location

NYSJ Sports-Entertainment Business News Service

August 26, 2020: On the same day that the Detroit Lions canceled practice to protest and address the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, WI — including holding signs that read, “The World Can’t Go On” and “We Won’t Be Silent” — the team said that its home venue of Ford Field would become the first NFL stadium to serve as an election support location on Nov. 3.

The Lions said they have elected to “integrate this programming into their Detroit Lions Inspire Change social justice work, launched in 2018, and historically focused on scholarship funding, social-education programs, and medical aid/health assistance.”

On Tuesday, with the team standing in front of their training facility and addressing the media, Lions safety Duron Harmon said, “As we came in today, as a team, we looked each other in the eye and realized that football is not important today.

“We have a platform that we’re able to use to not only raise awareness, but to create change. And we decided that today we were gonna step forward and we were gonna create change.”

According to Harmon, “While some people think we’re just football players, this league, 67% — two-thirds of its players are African American. Jacob Blake could’ve been anybody’s brother, cousin, uncle, friend. It could’ve been them, and it wasn’t okay. We’re not here for it.

“The Detroit Lions organization is gonna make a stand, that what happened to Jacob Blake is not okay and we’re gonna speak out on it.”

Plans for Ford Field include hosting eight of the city's 12 receiving boards, which are independent boards established to ensure the secure transmission of elections results and ballots voted in person at election precincts.

Ford Field will also serve as a location where election workers will deliver ballots and equipment after precincts close to be secured in case needed after Election Day.

Detroit Lions players will be featured in a series of PSAs aimed at voter education, encouraging people to vote and participate in the electoral process. The Lions will also promote information from the Secretary of State regarding important deadlines, processes and protocols.

The Lions staff will be given Election Day as a paid day off to serve as election workers and assist in staffing Ford Field's Election Day operations.

"I am so proud that the Detroit Lions are the first NFL team in the country to announce their plans to dedicate their arena, staff, and other resources to support our elections," Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said via the team. "Their leadership comes at a crucial time for our democracy and will fill critical needs for our voters and the City of Detroit."

The move is part of NFL Votes, a league-wide initiative that is intended to include, support and encourage the voting and civic engagement efforts of NFL fans, players, club and league personnel; as well as Rise to Vote – a nonpartisan initiative raising awareness for voting and encouraging voter registration.

"We all desire real and lasting social change, racial healing, abundant opportunity for all, and meaningful social justice progress in many aspects of our democracy,” Sheila Ford Hamp, Detroit Lions principal owner and team chairman, and her husband Steve Hamp, said via the team.

"For this to happen, for our democracy to be responsive and to improve, we all need to register to vote, learn about the candidates who are running for office, and then cast our votes in person or by absentee ballot.

“Our democracy is an inspiring and noble enterprise, but it is not perfect. It's time to fix that."

At the Lions’ training facility, Harmon said, “We’ll do everything we can to win football games, but we’ll also do everything we can to create change.”

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