Before kickoff of the Lions and Falcons game, both teams stood linking arms on the sidelines to “celebrate [our] differences,” the announcer said before Rico LaVelle sang the national anthem.

Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank linked arms with Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman on the sidelines. Detroit Lions’ owner, Martha Firestone Ford, stood with her arms linked with the players.

LaVelle, the Detroit-native singer, waited until the end of the national anthem to kneel. Twitter reacted to the teams and artist:

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Superintendent Bryan Johnson (right) interacts with 11-year-old student Ronnie Burks during Sylvan Hills Middle School’s first day of class on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (AJC file)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC