Antonio Brown drew a considerable amount of criticism throughout 2019 and into 2020 for various posts on social media and other decisions that he made. However, fans of the former New England Patriots receiver were appreciative of a gesture that he made to his hometown community amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Brown announced recurring donations of food, supplies, and masks to the residents of the Liberty City neighborhood in Miami, Florida.
“Liberty City Miami I’m coming back to the block this weekend and every weekend following to donate food, tissue, sanitizer, and masks,” Brown wrote on Twitter Friday morning. “We will be set up at the Corner Store on 58 terrace and 17th ave. Stayed tuned for the time tomorrow. Social Distancing will take place.” He later posted videos on his Instagram Stories that showed residents carrying bags of supplies.
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“Bro I respect your energy so much and how you are directly helping your community in a responsible way! Everyone makes mistakes and gets humbled but @NFL we need this man back in the league ASAP!” one person wrote on social media. Several others agreed with this sentiment. They referred to the donations as a “big win.”
While the majority of fans appreciated this gesture, there were some that disagreed with Brown donating these supplies. They felt that him providing masks, tissue and other supplies directly violated stay at home orders. Some even tagged the Miami Police Department on Twitter.
Brown’s donation came as another NFL player in New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins was pleading with the African American community to take care of each other. He said that it is up to his brothers and sisters to look out for themselves. Jenkins also said that the resources are not being sent to those most impacted by the coronavirus.
“This pandemic is real, and the damage that is left in the wake of the coronavirus is realized mostly in our communities. Bad policy, institutional neglect, and overexposure place us disproportionately within arm’s reach of the dangers of this deadly virus,” Jenkins said in a video posted to his Twitter account. “We are the essential worker. We are the most impacted yet the focus of the resources aren’t being invested in us. We cannot wait on a government that has never prioritized us. We must look out for ourselves.”
Whether or not Brown heard this message from his peer is unclear, but he is following the recommendations. He is focusing his donations on the Liberty City neighborhood in which he was raised. Brown plans on continuing these donations each weekend during the coronavirus pandemic.
