Oracle Park has had two decades worth of home openers, but Tuesday's was unlike any of the previous ones. The Giants have spent the last week protesting systemic racism and using their platform to promote equality, and that was the theme of a 25-minute ceremony before Tuesday's game against the Padres.
Public address announcer Renel Brooks-Moon led the ceremony, which included moments of silence for civil rights leaders C.T. Vivian and representative John Lewis, both of whom passed away this month, and a performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black national anthem, by the Stanford Talisman.
"In 1919, the NAACP proclaimed it as the Black National Anthem, for as you will hear, it is a rallying cry for freedom," Brooks-Moon said. "The song is also a prayer, and a protest, and a reminder that the struggles of the past are still alive today, and that these struggles must be met with hope, with courage, with perseverance, with faith.
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"This performance is dedicated to the memories of those who have unjustly lost their lives to systemic racism and to all black leaders who have led the fight for equality and human rights."
The Giants also played a video in which Farhan Zaidi, Gabe Kapler and other members of the organization spoke about the movement. "Make no mistake on where we stand," Kapler said in the video. "We are going to take action."
[RELATED: Kapler explains why silence about injustice isn't an option]
During the national anthem, Kapler once again took a knee, along with Mauricio Dubon, Jaylin Davis, Pablo Sandoval, Mike Yastrzemski, Antoan Richardson and several other Giants.