Recovering from decompression surgery on June 3 for thoracic outlet syndrome, Pirates pitcher Chris Archer is still a little less than a month away from being able to throw a baseball again.
His time off, however, has hardly been wasteful.
Archer, who apparently had a piece of his rib removed as part of the procedure, has taken a more active role with the Players Coalition and has been using his voice and platform to speak out against racism, social injustice and qualified immunity for government officials and law enforcement.
Appearing on MSNBC Thursday night with host Craig Melvin, Archer spoke on his role with the organization, his belief in it and the movement to garner 1,400 signatures in support of the “Ending Qualified Immunity Act.”
That bill was introduced by U.S. representatives Justin Amash (L-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.). It seeks to hold parties accountable by no longer shielding them from civil liability while doing their jobs.
“We went about a week or two of posting and using our social media platforms, protesting ourselves, walking the streets, and we wanted to do more,” Archer said. “I reached out to my connection at the Players Coalition, and they told us our involvement was as easy as doing things like reading this document and, if we’re behind it, putting our name next to it. It seemed like a no-brainer, especially with everything going on. We just want everyone to be held responsible for their actions.”
Archer joined current Pirates such as Cole Tucker, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Keone Kela and Jason Martin, as well as former ones in Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison.
A slew of high-profile athletes and coaches are among the 1,400 signatures, including Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Wentz, Alex Bregman, Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, Odell Beckham Jr., Dak Prescott, Kurt Warner and Giancarlo Stanton. Steven Nelson is the most prominent Steelers player to sign it.
Archer and others believe it’s important that those in law enforcement, especially now after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and far too many others, be held accountable for their actions.
“We’re looking for a way to really make change,” Archer said. “I think through legislation, through the law, is one of our best opportunities to do so.”
The Players Coalition was started in 2017 by former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin and current Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins. It aims “to [make] an impact on social justice and racial equality at the federal, state and local levels through advocacy, awareness, education, and allocation of resources,” according to its website.
It’s the second time in the past few months the group has taken action. It sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr on May 8, calling for an investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed while jogging in Georgia. An ex-police officer was charged in his death.
“It is time for Congress to eliminate qualified immunity and it can do so by passing the Amash-Pressley Bill,” the letter reads. “When police officers kill an unarmed man, when they beat a woman, or when they shoot a child, the people of this country must have a way to hold them accountable in a court of law.”
Archer called what has happened recently “tragic injustice” and said the best way to fix the problem is by creating an even playing field.
“We just want to see change,” Archer said. “It’s going to be hard to change the minds of people who feel like they’re superior to other people. But if we can have legal doctrines to help them not make those irrational decisions, then hopefully we can limit the amount of hate crimes or the crimes that happen to people that are quote-inferior, whether it be through race or socioeconomic status and things of that nature.”
Similar to what Josh Bell said on June 5 during an MLB Network Radio panel discussion titled “Baseball and Black America,” Archer believes this time period has been unique in that there’s not something else to occupy the world’s attention — and even for him, no next start to prepare for or nothing to otherwise divert his attention.
Archer hopes the result of that is people paying more attention to fixing a significant problem in society and doing whatever is necessary to make that happen. For him, that meant reading through the bill and, along with a host of others, putting his name to something and speaking out to support his beliefs.
“We just couldn’t sit silent any longer,” Archer said. “We have various campaigns, and the Players Coalition aligns directly with what the players at MLB want to see changed. We’ve seen these videos for too long, but we’ve also had so many distractions in the past. I don’t know if I would have the opportunity to read the legal doctrine. I don’t know if I would have had 40 guys from MLB read the legal doctrine that the qualified immunity bill is or what it says.
“But with this situation, where everything is on pause, those things are heightened. We just don’t want to stand for these things anymore. We’re so grateful for the Players Coalition and what Anquan Boldin and his team has done over the past three years. We’re a little late to the party, but better late than never.
“I think our voices are being heard. The fact that this bill is pushed to Congress and they’re making a decision on it next week, I’m highly encouraged by the names that are on that letter that we can change some minds and alter the justice system a little bit.”
As for Archer’s baseball situation, he did offer a slight update on that via Instagram, thanking everyone for their well wishes and posting a picture of part of his rib.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: June 19, 2020, 1:51 p.m.
