On Friday, Armstead discussed the surge in hate crimes across the country, and what he feels can be done to knock down walls that divide people.
"Before we talk football today, I decided this year to bring up some important things that are important to me in terms of social injustice and issues I see in our country," Armstead said after sitting down to speak with reporters via a video conference call. "And so, before my media obligations, I want to shed some light on some things that are important to me. And I think we should all educate ourselves ... That's my goal with this, is to educate and create dialogue and start conversation.
"So today, I wanted to highlight the rise in hate crimes in our country. According to The New York Times and the FBI, 2018 hate crimes were at an all-time high of 16 years, and I think we have to ask ourselves why that is. With COVID, we've seen an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans. With immigration, we've seen a rise in hate crimes against Latinos in our country.
"And so, I think we have to think about why these things are happening, what biases and stereotypes are we continuing to allow to be a part of our society, and how can we stop spreading hate, and start spreading love in a society where everything is divided — Black and White, rich and poor, gay, straight, immigrant citizen.
"How can we knock down those walls, instead of dividing our people and bring people closer together? I think the way you do that is spreading love and not hate. So, I challenge all of us to continue to spread love and understanding to people who don't look like us, maybe have a different language than us. So, that's what I wanted to shed light on today."
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