The New Orleans Saints Twitter account posted a photo of quarterback Drew Brees warming up on Sunday wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “#SAYHERNAME”.
The tweet had the caption “This is my #ForNOLA quarterback”.
Hours later, the tweet was deleted.
The account added another tweet explaining the meaning behind “#SAYHERNAME,” a social media campaign that started this summer after Breonna Taylor’s fatal shooting in Louisville, Kentucky.
The second tweet explained that the shirt is about amplifying “the voices and experiences of black women” and was accompanied by a photo of security guard Malcolm Jenkins wearing the same shirt. Jenkins is a vocal advocate of social justice and a co-founder of Players Coalition.
Why did Saints delete the tweet?
This tweet does not explain why the first one was removed.
Brees wore the shirt days after an insurrectional crowd, inspired by President Donald Trump, invaded the U.S. Capitol in an effort to subvert the Electoral College count, confirming President-elect Joe Biden as Trump’s successor.
A woman named Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed during the attack while trying to break into a section of the Capitol called the Speaker Hall. She was part of the crowd.
It is not clear whether people thought Brees was wearing the shirt in support of Babbitt.
Brees has worn the shirt several times this season, as have other members of the Saints.
Brees reacted by anthem protest stance
Brees caused a stir in June when he told Yahoo Finance: “I will never agree with anyone who disrespects the flag.” Brees’s comment denouncing peaceful protests by players against police brutality and social injustice reached the height of racial calculations across the country, caused by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police.
He drew a lot of criticism for the comments, including Jenkins, who said Brees should “shut up” in an Instagram video.
Brees apologized twice for the comment, while swearing “I will be part of the solution”
There is no evidence that Brees wore the shirt on Sunday for any reason other than to join his teammates in the broader ongoing campaign “#SAYHERNAME”.
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