1. Josh Norman: We're all in this together
Bills cornerback Josh Norman joined quarterback Josh McCown, Steve Wyche and Michael Robinson on NFL Network this week to discuss racial inequality in America. Norman shared powerful words on what he feels the country is currently going through.
"It's definitely one of those times where racism has been at its highest point since Jim Crow," Norman said. "I think that you go all the way back from that time and there has been plenty of cases where we've been Band-Aided in what has been going on. When you look at it decade after decade, these racist events have occurred and the Band-Aids have been pulled over. But now we are here in the millennium, 2020 you could say, and that Band-Aid has been pulled off. You see what it really is for those who have blinders on and don't really want to see what it is to go through life in America as a black man."
The Bills corner explained it's time to fix the problem of racial inequality or else it will continue for generations to come.
"As I go back to that Band-Aid analogy, we need to sew that up," Norman explained. "We need to find a way where we're going to come together and sew that Band-Aid up. No longer let it be a Band-Aid, no longer let it be a wound that's there. We need a doctor to come through to stich that thing up or else the next generation is going to carry this on."
Norman finished his statement with a call to action and a question we can all ask ourselves.
"People really need to come together and ask themselves, 'What can I do to help out my African American brother?'" Norman said. "'What can I do as a white person, as a native American, as a Hispanic? We're all in this together. What can I do to help out the next race because if we don't, things like this are going to continue.'"
2. Lorenzo Alexander: Use your platform, impact your social circles and be consistent
Newly retired Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander joined One Bills Live this week to share his advice about what we can do to help end racial inequality. Alexander explained the importance of using the platform you have to help provide change.
"Wherever you are at use your leverage, your platform and your resources to create the change," Alexander said. "I don't have access to everybody. Your message may come off differently to who you are explaining it to. For example if I'm trying to explain something, someone may say I'm an angry black dude. If you tell them it may come across and be received differently because their guard is let down, they may not feel attacked."
Alexander said one of the most crucial parts is to be consistent and not to forget about the push to fight for equality when it's not the hot topic in the news.
"Just use your platform, impact your social circles and be consistent about it," Alexander explained. "We are so galvanized by events and then over time we allow that energy to dissipate and we move onto the next thing. Just like in media, what's the hot story. Things last 24 hours. This is something that's going to take a lot of time and energy consistently from a lot of different people, a lot of different groups to really change the way things are implemented in our world and the way people think in our world about certain groups of people."
3. Former Bills safety George Wilson notices diversity in those joining the fight against racism
Former Bills safety George Wilson joined WGR 550 on Tuesday morning to discuss his thoughts on racial injustice and where things stand today. Wilson, who was twice named the Buffalo Bills Walter Payton Man of the Year during his tenure with the Bills in the mid-2000s, shared his opinions on a variety of topics gripping the nation right now. He offered the following when asked about what he's noticed about more people joining the fight against racism today.
"We've been through this a lot, but this one feels different, it looks different," said Wilson. "In the past you'd only see, primarily, people of color in the streets. But now you hear and you see people of all races and colors and genders and sexual orientation out there fighting for the same cause. And that's what makes this one different in my opinion."
Click here for a transcript and replay of Wilson's interview.
