Dez Bryant calls out Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and others amid George Floyd protests
Thousands of protesters marched down the streets of Austin, Texas, on Sunday, joining demonstrations across the country in the weeks following the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant found it more noteworthy who wasn’t at the protest.
The free agent wide receiver posted a pointed message on Twitter during the protests, saying that someone should have brought Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, his son and Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones and Cowboys great Jason Witten.
Somebody should have brought Jerry jones Stephen jones and Jason witten to this protest down in Austin......this is not a policy change this is a heart change and yea I said it
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 7, 2020
The protest in Austin was explicitly in support of the Black Lives Matters movement, with organizers at the Austin Justice Coalition saying the moment would be centered around “black voices, black stories, and most importantly, black solutions in this time.”
Bryant would somewhat elaborate on his thoughts in subsequent tweets, saying his statement was based off personal experience and that the group could get a different understanding of unity from attending the protest.
I’m just going based off my personal experiences... https://t.co/26LSO7IUr9
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 7, 2020
You are correct... I don’t feel like I’m calling them out but I feel they will get a different understanding of what unity really look like https://t.co/rsp5Mj5Rjm
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 7, 2020
The aftermath of Floyd’s death has sparked an outpouring of statements and pledges from teams, owners and other NFL figures, including a stunning admission of fault from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The situation is at the point where silence is becoming a statement of its own.
The Cowboys as a team haven’t been completely silent, as they posted a well-produced video in response to to Floyd’s death on Friday.
The video featured the voices of Dak Prescott, Sean Lee, Tyrone Crawford and Byron Jones. None of the people mentioned by Bryant are featured in the video.
The Dallas Cowboys began conversations about social injustice two years ago and they continue to be ongoing.
The recent killing of George Floyd and others illuminates the importance of continuing these efforts. pic.twitter.com/0yofZ6Vz9O— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 5, 2020
Bryant isn’t the first person to note the silence of the elder Jones during the protests. Given that even current players are now calling out the league and successfully sparking a change in its handling of protests, Bryant might not be the last to call out Jones.
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