Mets' Jared Banner doing his part in fight against racial injustice

In the days after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer, as the video circulated and the outrage grew and the protests popped up across the country, Jared Banner wanted to do something.

He found that first something, a small something, when word spread on social media of a vigil in Floyd’s honor last Monday night in Brooklyn. When he showed up to McCarren Park with a close high school friend as the sun started to set, they found thousands of others each looking to do a small something, too.

In the massive crowd, Banner, a Brooklyn native who moved back after the Mets hired him as executive director of player development ahead of the 2019 season, was so far from the center that he could barely hear what the speakers were saying. And that was OK. He was there, and so were the others, and what started as a moment of silence — the thousands collectively dropping to a knee — became an hourslong march through Banner’s home borough.

“It was an opportunity to support a man who lost his life unjustifiably, as well as show solidarity with countless others who’ve suffered from police brutality,” Banner, who is black, said in an email interview. “Having experienced racism myself, it was an uplifting experience seeing so many people moved by a cause and pulling on the same rope for justice.

“We often talk about building teams and inspiring one another in baseball. This was a real-life example of what can happen when people come together. These marches are just one step in the process, but it was a strong reminder of the power in numbers and our ability to make our voices heard.”

That first night, Banner, 34, peeled off ahead of the 11 p.m. curfew, but he wasn’t done. He went to another Friday night. And he plans to “continue to support what’s right in as many ways as I can,” he said.

Those rallies were among the countless protests across the United States the past two weeks in a renewed fight against police brutality and racial inequality. The momentum came after Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, put his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Chauvin has since been fired and charged with second-degree murder. 

That civil unrest energy has found its way to sports, too. MLB and every major-league team except the Yankees issued a statement condemning racism, and lots of players have spoken out. The Mets were among the first to do so. They didn’t mention Floyd or the words black lives matter, but did say “we denounce all forms of racism and discrimination” and mentioned their pride in their diversity.

The Mets did include “Black Lives Matter” in a subsequent social media post.

Among specific Mets, Long Island native Marcus Stroman has been especially vocal on social media. Pete Alonso also has expressed support for Black Lives Matter and took offense to an Instagram commenter who replied “All Lives Matter.”

Banner, heartened by the breadth of recent protests, said he already has felt support from Mets co-workers and strangers, friends and acquaintances.

“This is a pivotal point in our country’s history and what happens from here will shape what this nation represents moving forward,” Banner said.

What does success look like?

“Success is future generations not having these same marches and protests that our parents and grandparents had to have and that we’re still having now,” Banner said. “Enough is enough. You are either actively allied against racism or you’re not. I’m hopeful that we will have enough support from the former to make meaningful change because black lives do matter.”

The meaningful change part is more difficult. These rallies will matter little to those involved unless those in power hear the demands and respond. There hasn’t been real, tangible difference yet, but there have been hints of shifts.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has called for police reforms that would make disciplinary records transparent and turn the attorney general into an independent prosecutor for any police murder case. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said he is redirecting at least $100 million from LAPD’s budget to communities of color. Boston — Banner’s home when he worked for the Red Sox a decade — said it will consider similar reallocations.

For Banner, police reform effort Campaign Zero has been a valuable resource, he said. He found it recently after former President Barack Obama endorsed it on his foundation’s website.

An organization launched by Black Lives Matter activists five years ago, Campaign Zero seeks to end police brutality — including the more than 1,000 deaths per year — via research-based policy changes at the local, state and federal levels, according to its website. Among its suggestions: fair union police contracts and the demilitarization of local law enforcement.

Banner has a message for those who want to be involved or have considered getting involved: It’s OK to start with a small something.

“Please know,” Banner said, “that speaking up or showing up imperfectly is better than not showing up at all.”