The 2020-21 Premier League season is set to begin on Saturday, and players were initially expected to wear “Black Lives Matter” patches on their shirts. That phrase has been swapped out in favor of another campaign, however.
Rather than “Black Lives Matter” patches, Premier League players will wear patches that say “No Room for Racism.” As Paul MacInnes of The Guardian notes, the change came as a result of the Black Lives Matter association supporting other movements such as defunding the police.
“We’re drawing a clear distinction between a moral cause and a political movement,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said. “Players rightly have a strong voice on this matter, which we saw last season. We have continued to talk and listen to players on this issue and will support them as well as continuing to emphasize the Premier League’s position against racism.”
The vast majority of leagues and players have found a way to display anti-racist messages since the killing of George Floyd, but not all are directly supporting the Black Lives Matter organization. The NFL has opted for other phrases such as “End Racism” and “It Takes All of Us,” while the NBA is directly supporting Black Lives Matter in a number of ways.
