Barack Obama says Jim Harbaugh’s been on ‘right side’ of racial injustice

Former President of the United States Barack Obama held a town hall on Wednesday afternoon discussing police violence and the death of George Floyd. During the hour and a half forum Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh was mentioned by Obama.

“You got Jim Harbaugh, the coach of Michigan football, marching today. That’s not something that was happening five, six years ago. Although Jim I know, and he’s been on the right side of this issue for quite some time.”

Harbaugh joined Michigan players and coaches at an anti-police brutality march on Tuesday, a gesture that was appreciated by U-M players, and now Obama. “Coach Harbaugh is all about his players,” Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye said. “People will say, ‘He’s not that educated in the subject,’ but he said he wasn’t going to pretend to know. He said he was going to be there for the players. He came out and showed his support.”

Obama and Harbaugh have known one another a handful of years now, due to Harbaugh being involved with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher reading initiative, which promotes higher education.

In ‘17, Harbaugh became a member of the Legal Services Corporation’s leadership council, telling congress “all Americans should care about equal access to justice”.

“If I may make a football analogy, we’re a team whether we’re a football team or community or the United States of America,” Harbaugh said describing his activism. “We are part of a team and I believe the people on that team have a right, but they also have the obligation if there is something that is not good or we don’t agree on, to speak about it.”