The Buzz: Malcolm Jenkins’ Silence Speaks Volumes

On Monday, President Trump uninvited the Philadelphia Eagles from their scheduled White House visit in a statement saying, “They disagree with their president because he insists that they proudly stand for the national anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.” When press came to the Eagles facility to ask the players about the situation, star safety Malcolm Jenkins was ready.

Instead of answering the reporters’ questions, Jenkins held up signs beginning with a sign that states “You’re Not Listening,” making a point about the fact that the White House (and those who live in it) and many others are misunderstanding or choosing not to listen to the real root of the NFL protests started by Colin Kaepernick. The rest of his signs shared statistics about police brutality and the various ways that Eagles’ players are working towards justice in their communities. The video below depicts the scene.

This week, we are in the midst of our inaugural Engaging in Bold, Inclusive Conversations™ Facilitator Certification, and I can’t help but think of Jenkins’ choice as a form of engaging in these types of conversations even thought he chose to be silent. He may not have spoken, but he definitely made a statement. He created an opening for conversation and an opportunity to build some sort of shared truth around what’s actually happening, with the protests and with our country.

I applaud him for what he did. I think his approach also points to the difficulty of having these conversations. I imagine that he has tried to have this conversation many times with the media, teammates, etc., and I’m sure that the lack of public consensus or understanding around these protests must be disheartening almost two years later.

We know from this work on Bold, Inclusive Conversations™ that these conversations are difficult, in part, because not everyone is starting in the same place, with the same perspective, the same openness, or even the same understanding of the facts. Jenkins seems to be attempting to correct that last reality, and sometimes it takes a disruption of the moment or the current narrative to get people’s attention and to chart a new course. Jenkins used the silence to disrupt the current conversation. He is attempting to chart a new course. Will we be bold and be willing to listen? Will we take the silence as a sign that the current way we’re talking isn’t working?

If you want to know more about how to have Bold, Inclusive Conversations™, check out this series, or Mary-Frances Winters’ book We Can’t Talk About That at Work! How to Talk About Race, Religion, and Politics in the Workplace.