BEREA, Ohio (AP) – The photo of Martin Luther King Jr. put things in perspective for Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins.
Change can happen.
Hawkins and four other NFL players to meet with Congressional leaders in Washington to discuss ways of bridging the divide between police and minority communities. During the visit Tuesday, Hawkins, a longtime activist, was struck by an iconic image of King, the revered civil rights leader, hanging on a wall inside the Eisenhower Executive Building next to the White House.
“And it was the meeting that kind of prompted blacks being able to vote, which was a big deal,” Hawkins said Wednesday. “So to see that and just walking in those historic hallways and realizing all the history you’ve learned about, and you’re literally in the same space as them, it’s a surreal moment.”
Hawkins was part of a delegation of players headed by Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin. They visited Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers about what can be done to improve relations between law enforcement and African-Americans. The problem has plagued the nation for decades, inflamed by shootings in recent months that triggered protests and violence.