Martellus Bennett Writes Letter, 'Dear Black Boy,' In Support Of Black Lives Matter Movement
BOSTON (CBS) -- More often than not, when it comes to making a strong statement -- whether it be political, social, or anything else not related to football -- you typically won't see many public opinions from members of the New England Patriots.
Yet the Patriots' newest tight end is anything but reserved when it comes to speaking his mind, and Martellus Bennett artfully displayed that fact in a message written on The Players' Tribune titled "Dear Black Boy."
In the wake of the police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota, Bennett felt compelled to write a message on Instagram. Aimed directly at black youth, Bennett's 413-word message ended with the hashtag #blacklivesmatter.
(The story was posted on The Players' Tribune shortly before the shocking shootings in Dallas took place.)
"The quest for freedom continues," Bennett wrote. "We must lace our shoes and run toward freedom — cheering on those who are training and running our same race, picking up those like us who get tired or distracted on their way to the finish line. Freedom is still a giraffe and a half away. So we must run another lap, like the greats before us who ran the same race. And we must pick up the pace."
Bennett, 29, released a children's book titled "Hey A.J., It's Saturday" earlier this offseason.
"Growing up, I always wanted to bring happiness to kids and people around the world," Bennett said on WBZ Sports Final in June.
In that interview, he discussed making his mark on the world beyond the realm of touchdowns and broken tackles.
"The things we create go on forever," he said. "I don't want my daughter to grow up saying, 'My dad had a great stiff-arm.' I want her to know that he made things. These are stories that will be here forever for her."
The message in the Players' Tribune piece relates to that. Bennett grew up in Houston and has excelled at sports his whole life, yet he encouraged black youth to look beyond the sports fields when dreaming what can be possible.
"The low-hanging fruit is what the world prefers you to reach for, but we must climb the tree. Climb higher and you will discover that the fruit at the top of the tree is better than gold," he wrote. "Dream bigger, Black Boy, Dream bigger! For your dreams are valuable. No one can take those from you. You deserve to dream the wildest dreams and chase those dreams the same way you chase a loose ball in the fourth quarter, a running back breaking free down the sideline or a fly ball in the outfield."
In addition to dreaming, Bennett implored the subject of this message to set goals, to think, to move forward and to exercise.
"Exercise your right to speak your mind, to pursue happiness, to seek peace and prosperity, to avoid conformity imposed by the small minds of society," he said. "Exercise until you're drenched in sweat."
He added: "Win, Black Boy, Win! For the world needs more winners who look like you."
