On Tuesday, the Broncos’ Brandon Marshall met with Denver Police Chief Robert White for about 45 minutes to discuss police and their relationship to communities of color.
A day later, Marshall reflected on that meeting in an Instagram post and outlined his plans to bring about positive change going forward. Marshall said in the post that he plans to donate $300 for every tackle he makes this year to “several organizations that benefit the Denver community.”
The meeting with White and his decision to donate money to various local causes are the steps Marshall’s taken after kneeling during the national anthem in Thursday’s game against the Panthers. Marshall went down on one knee as a way to show solidarity with 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who on Aug. 27 explained his decision to protest by saying, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
Kaepernick has since announced he’s donating $1 million of his salary to different organizations to “help these communities and these people.” Marshall, in his own way, has followed suit.
“My intent was not to offend anyone but rather to simply raise awareness and create some dialogue toward affecting positive change in our communities,” Marshall wrote. “In the last week, I’ve had a lot of productive conversations with people I respect, including Chief White of the Denver Police Department. I really appreciate all of them taking the time to listen to me and offer some insight and feedback on ways we can all make a difference.”
You can track his contributions by using the hashtag #TackleChange. Last season, he racked up 102 tackles. That would equal $30,600 in donations if he reaches that total again this season.
