Wife of Browns' Seth DeValve asks public not to lose focus on protest cause

Erica Harris DeValve doesn't want the public to lose sight of what the real focus is behind her husband's actions.

Erica, the wife of Cleveland Browns tight end Seth DeValve, submitted a post to TheRoot.com Thursday discussing her husband's choice to kneel with a large group of African-American teammates prior to Monday's game against the New York Giants, calling for the public to not lose sight of the true motive simply because her husband is white.

"We should not see Seth’s participation as legitimizing this movement. Rather, he chose to be an ally of his black teammates. To center the focus of Monday’s demonstration solely on Seth is to distract from what our real focus should be: listening to the experiences and the voices of the black people who are using their platforms to continue to bring the issue of racism in the U.S. to the forefront.

"Seth, as a white individual, never has and never will truly have to feel the weight and burden of racial discrimination and racial oppression. No white person does or will. But all white people should care and take a stand against its prevalence in this country."

Harris DeValve went on to admit that she is grateful for the support her husband has received in subsequent days, but took the opportunity to remind the public that the man at the center of anthem protests in the NFL is still without a job.

"I am grateful for the widespread support and praise that Seth is getting for his actions, but I would like to offer a humble reminder that a man - a black man - literally lost his job for taking a knee, week after week, on his own. Colin Kaepernick bravely took a step and began a movement throughout the NFL, and he suffered a ridiculous amount of hate and threats and ultimately lost his life’s work in the sport he loves."