Orioles players and coaches, committed to showing unity in their display of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, took a knee in unison while holding a black ribbon before the national anthem. The Orioles stood with arms locked in unison once the song began ahead of Friday’s Opening Day game at Boston’s Fenway Park.
The demonstration comes as ballplayers around the country are using their platform as the first major sport to return to bring attention to race and social justice issues. Players and coaches from every MLB team have knelt while holding a long black ribbon before the anthem during Thursday and Friday’s season-opening games.