Eagles' Jenkins: Talk about the issues, not the protest

ASHBURN, Va. -- Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins wanted an opportunity to discuss issues -- and not focus on whether a protest is respectful or not.

That's why, in a video with retired receiver Anquan Boldin on MMQB, Jenkins explained what he'll be doing this season to shed light on those issues.

"It just focuses the dialogue in the right direction," Jenkins said in a conference call with the Washington media Thursday. "Up until this point, starting last year, a lot of -- even the interviews that we do -- the questions are always about whether the protest is right or wrong or whether we are disrespecting people or it's about Colin Kaepernick."

Jenkins explained in the video that he'll be raising a fist during the national anthem for racial equality "and a much-needed reform to our criminal justice system." He also said he wanted to end the money-bail system, which he felt punished the poor, and to help pass the "Clean Slate" legislation in Pennsylvania, automatically sealing nonviolent misdemeanor records after 10 years.

In the video, Boldin added, "We're looking for police accountability so we can rebuild trust and work together to make our communities safer. This is about lifting up our communities and treating them with the dignity and support they deserve."

In April, Jenkins and Boldin joined former NFL player Donte Stallworth and New England Patriots cornerback Johnson Bademosi in Washington, lobbying for criminal justice reform.

On the conference call, Jenkins said he wanted to spin the conversation more about what they're fighting for rather than the method of gaining attention.

"These are the issues that we are fighting for. We want to do it for equality, civil rights, changing and reforming our criminal justice system, but also giving solutions, too," said Jenkins, who has military members in his family. "We are not just standing on a soap box talking about how wrong the country is.

"There are some things that, not only we are involved in, but we are trying to give other people ways who are interested in this, to give them examples of how they can get involved or how they can help be a part of that change and how the rest of the country needs to join this conversation, because obviously when you look around, these are topics and issues that we deal with as a society on a daily basis."