Packers stay in locker room during national anthem to ‘stand united for social justice and racial equality’

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers stayed in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem, before kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

“The Green Bay Packers respect the national anthem and United States flag and all that they represent, including the right to express ourselves,” Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said in a statement released Sunday.

Murphy said the decision was made as a team to stay focused on the team’s message of social justice and racial equality.

“This is part of our continued call on our leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue that results in change,” Murphy said. “We feel it is important for all of us to participate in these difficult conversations with humility and be open to different perspectives.”

Earlier on Sunday, the Vikings honored George Floyd with a special tribute. The Vikings’ stadium is about three miles from where Floyd was killed.

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