Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank issued a statement on Sunday calling for people to come together following the death of George Floyd on Monday in Minneapolis.

Blank said Americans must continue to try to move the needle and push for actionable measures (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk):

Blank said in his statement he hopes some good comes from the events of this week, leading to “productive action and lasting, positive change.”

“A number of events over the last couple of weeks have reminded us again that the long, worthy quest for equal justice, civility and unity in America is far from over,” Blank said. “People are scared and in pain. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. More must be done to address systemic racism. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change.

Blank went on to say too many issues–including race–have become too politicized, which inherently impedes progress. He concluded by stating his Family Foundation and businesses would strive to be “part of the solution.”

Protests in Atlanta began peacefully, but many of those protests quickly turned violent.

Many gathered in solidarity on Saturday afternoon, but others rebuked Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' curfew order later that night, with vandalism and looting continuing into the wee hours.

Of course, this is not unlike some of the protests in other major cities throughout the country.

The issue is hardly cut and dried. Some protests maintained the peaceful intent, while others involved partly due to police escalation. Others have simply become prone to chaos.

In any case, Blank hopes members of the community will come together so as to build a new path forward.