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In response to the racism issues being encountered in American society, the NFL has recently allowed the players to put the names of victims of police shootings and racism on their helmets this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers chose to pay their respects for a single fallen victim all throughout the 2020 NFL season.
Antwon Rose Jr. was a 17-year-old black boy who was fatally shot in the back by a white East Pittsburgh police officer on June 19, 2018. The shooting occurred just as the officers were putting handcuffs on the driver as part of an investigation into a drive-by shooting. The officer, Michael Rosfeld, was charged with murder but found not guilty and eventually acquitted by a jury composed of nine white jurors and three black jurors.
The teenager had previously worked as a community volunteer and was an honor roll student at Woodland Hills High School, where he took Advanced Placement classes. He also stayed out of violence and had no significant criminal record prior to his death.
He remains to be one of many black Americans who fell victim to the systematic oppression and racism issues being sent to the way of people with color. The call for change in American society has become even more relevant today, more than two years after his death.
Rose’s mom, Michelle Kenney, said she was grateful for the team's act of representing her son. Hopefully, the thought of honoring Antwon Rose Jr. will inspire the entire Pittsburgh Steelers as they make their bounce-back campaign on the field heading into the season.
