Matt Dumba is first NHL player to kneel during US National Anthem – CNN

Dumba joins a long list of athletes, including.
LeBron James,.
Tiger Woods and.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, speaking out about police cruelty and the defend Black lives.

” For those unaffected by systemic racism, or unaware, Im sure that some of you think this topic has actually gathered too much attention during the last number of months. But let me ensure you, it has not,” Dumba said prior to kneeling. “Racism is all over– and we need to eliminate against it.”.

” I understand first-hand, as a minority playing of the great video game of hockey, the hard and mysterious difficulties that featured it,” Dumba stated Saturday.

” Black Lives Matter. Breonna Taylors life matters,” Dumba said. “Hockey is a fantastic game, but it might be a great deal greater and it begins with everybody.”.

The Minnesota Wild defenseman knelt during Saturdays video game between Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks while wearing a.
Hockey Diversity Alliance hoodie with “Black Lives Matter” composed on the sleeves. Dumba, who is Canadian, stood for the Canadian anthem.

He added that he hopes his actions and those of the HDA motivate a brand-new generation of hockey players and fans.

CNNs Jabari Jackson contributed to this report.

While Dumba is not on either of the teams that played Saturday, he is part of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, a company that formed in June consisting of seven previous and present NHL gamers. The organizations objective is to “eradicate bigotry and intolerance in hockey,” according to the NHL.

Let me ensure you, it has not,” Dumba said prior to kneeling. Breonna Taylors life matters,” Dumba said. “Hockey is a terrific game, but it could be a whole lot higher and it begins with all of us.”.