The two top stars DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson demand from their former college Clemson the repayment of a slave owner celebrated by the university.
In the course of massive protests against police violence in the USA, black NFL stars are increasingly finding their voice and are aware of their responsibility and signal effect.
Former teammates DeAndre Hopkins (Arizona Cardinals) and Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) are the current example of this.
Hopkins and Watson with demands on Clemson
The duo played before the NFL at the successful College Clemson in South Carolina for a short period of time. Both are real legends there.
Now they have joined a petition demanding the removal of slave owner John C. Calhoun from the university campus.
The former vice president of the USA (1825-1829) was a fervent supporter of slavery and called it a “positive good”. On his plantation he had 70 to 80 slaves at that time.
College celebrates scalp owner
Today, the university is located there and Calhoun still carries the name Calhoun as the namesake of its so-called “Honor College” list.
“I felt this oppressor figure during my time for Clemson and therefore I deliberately do not mention the name of the university before NFL games (for example, when the starting formations were presented on the US channel NBC, editor’s note). I encourage all students, football players and graduates to join us. So that the next generation of young black leaders can be proud of their university. Now is the time for change,” Hopkins wrote to Instagram.