Portland Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse continues to be one of MLS's most outspoken leaders amid the Black Lives Matter movement, with his latest message centering on encouraging people to stay involved in the fight for change as more time passes since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
It's a message Ebobisse has steadfastly emphasized for weeks, including in a Medium blog post he published on the topic on June 1. In an interview posted by NowThisNews on Thursday, Ebobisse reiterated the sentiment that the activism we've seen not only needs to continue, but also take place outside of social media and in the real world.
"I've seen this kind this kind of social media fervor in the past, starting with Trayvon Martin," Ebobisse said. "Trayvon Martin wasn't enough. Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, you know, we can name so many. Every moment caused grief in our community. That grief was shared with some people for a little bit, but ultimately there was a time limit to how much we could grieve publicly and how long we could demand change. Knowing that our pain is only worth a few weeks of people's time, that's hurtful, too. As our state and a lot of our country goes through Phase 1 reopening I know that this has gone straight to the back of people's minds, if not completely forgotten.
"I think this time could be different," he continued. "As a Black community, we have continued to find our voice as a collective. Whereas in the past, I've felt alone even though I know I wasn't. ...On a daily basis, individuals can support Black business, Black individuals, Black journalists because those are areas that have been silenced or marginalized for too long. And we need to acknowledge as a society that they have so much to offer and teach us."
