unCovering: The Price of Protest

In episode 6 of unCovering the Birds, Jeff McLane delves into the profound consequences Steven Means faced for his 2016 protest against racial injustice.

by Jeff McLane May 24, 2024, 12:15 a.m. ET

Death threats. Job threats. Uncertainty about the future, both short- and long-term. The consequences of taking a stand for racial justice hit Steven Means almost immediately. It was the outset of the 2016 season, and he, along with a wave of players across the NFL, felt compelled to protest multiple police killings of Black men that took place earlier in the summer. Even though Means knew raising a fist with Malcolm Jenkins during the singing of the National Anthem before a Monday Night Football game in Chicago would draw backlash, the fallout was fierce. How did Means navigate criticism from outside the Philadelphia Eagles organization and within it? As a player with far less job and financial security than an entrenched veteran like Jenkins, why did Means get involved? All these years later, does he think it was worth it? Through Means’ story and perspective, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane examines the price a former Eagle paid for protesting.

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unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts.