The Philadelphia Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins released a PSA video that focuses on Black children being killed by police, and he’s partnered with Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation to do it.
Jenkins released the video through his Players Coalition, a social justice group that he founded with former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin in 2017.
Roc Nation reportedly spent $1 million to promote the video on social media as well as other areas, and people like Meek Mill and CNN contributor Van Jones tweeted about it.
Mill and Jones partnered with Jay-Z for The Reform Alliance earlier this year, a criminal justice reform organization they started with people like Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
The PSA is narrated by Angella and Dan Henry, who are the parents of Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr., a student football player for Pace University, who was killed by a white police officer named Aaron Hess in 2010.
The shooting happened in Mount Pleasant, New York, while DJ was driving, and he was just 20 years old at the time.
Hess and another officer said the young man drove toward them aggressively, but later it was learned their story was fabricated, resulting in a $6 million wrongful death settlement for the family.
“Never in a million years would we have thought this would have happened to us,” said Angella Henry in the video. “And it continues to happen to so many other families.”
Jay-Z announced his partnership with the NFL in August to help the league with its entertainment and social justice initiatives.
As a part of it, the billionaire rapper will create a series of videos similar to Jenkins’ PSA through his new “Responsibility Program.” The plan with the videos is to raise awareness on social justice and to spark legislative change.
The future PSAs will also have backing from major corporations.
