“The focus of the ceremony then shifted from the coronavirus to the Black Lives Matter movement, as the announcer referenced Floyd’s death, saying, “Yet while we were united against this microscopic virus, forces sought to divide us again. On the streets of Minneapolis, we watched for eight minutes and 46 seconds in graphic, horrifying detail the wrongs that still haunt our society.”
The announcer next introduced a video that was put together by a group of Black baseball players who have “united to use their collective voice.”
“Today, more than 100 current and former Black baseball players are galvanized and united in pursuit of what is right,” the announcer said of Major League Baseball’s Players’ Alliance.
In a show of collective support, both the Red Sox and Orioles, lined up down the first and third base lines respectively, grabbed hold of a unity ribbon.
“The Red Sox echo the players’ alliance and raise our voices in harmony and unity to proclaim that Black Lives Matter and systemic racism must end,” the announcer said.
The words “Black Lives Matter” were displayed throughout the ballpark, most notably in Fenway’s center field bleachers, and Red Sox players also wore “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts during pregame warmups. “
