Sunday’s contest between the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers is one garnering the attention of the nation.
The team and NFL had to monitor the security situation around the contest leading up to the game due to protests in downtown Charlotte near the stadium. Riots broke out after a black officer shot an unarmed black man and progressed to the point of a state of emergency.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton arrived at the stadium voicing his stance in his own way, wearing a shirt with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote on the back:
Cam Newton’s pregame shirt includes a Martin Luther King Jr. quote. (via @CarolinaHuddle) pic.twitter.com/w0CkqNFPLH
— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 25, 2016
VIDEO: Cam Newton warming up, wearing shirt with MLK quote #Panthers @wcnc pic.twitter.com/BETHjSS8an
— Kelsey Riggs (@KelseyRiggsWCNC) September 25, 2016
Newton recently spoke out about the issues afflicting the country, joining sports stars such as Colin Kaepernick:
Cam Newton touching on many points here about his voice and speaking out on issues #Panthers #KeithScott pic.twitter.com/vg7QtUXpCm
— Matt Harris (@MHarrisWSOC9) September 21, 2016
Newton deciding to wear such a shirt given the environment in Charlotte and the country as a whole isn’t a surprise. Fans can expect these sorts of statements and protests more and more, whether in the NFL, NBA and beyond.
While Newton started the message Sunday, he likely won’t be the last.