After a nearly hour-long meeting manager Aaron Boone described as a “powerful conversation,” the Yankees opted not to protest and decided to take the field. But that doesn’t mean the Black Lives Matter movement and racial injustice issues plaguing the country hasn’t deeply impacted them.

It has hit home for Boone, who has two adopted Haitian children, Jeanel and Sergot. He couldn’t make it through his pregame Zoom press conference when asked about the current nature of race relations in the country, breaking down and needing to gather himself for a few minutes before continuing.

“I know I’m talking to a lot of people out there. It’s just been a hard and heavy year, and a heartbreaking year in so many ways,” Boone, wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, said before the Yankees and Mets kicked off a five-game series with a doubleheader in The Bronx. “For my family, too. But I think that’s the case for a lot of people of all different backgrounds and races. My prayer is just that … at the end of the day we’re better for it. That’s my continued prayer.”

Following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, in Kenosha, Wis., protests broke out across professional sports, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. The NBA playoffs were postponed, and so were games in the WNBA, MLS and MLB. The Mets and Marlins didn’t play on Thursday, a day after African-American outfielder/infielder Dominic Smith broke down during a press conference centered on the topic.

“A lot of the things we’ve seen the last couple of days have been powerful, have been emotional, have been strong, and it’s always good to see people communicate their heart, and we’ve seen a lot of that,” Boone said. “With all that continues to go in our country, there are men and women in my life and a lot of people in our room in there that are really hurting, and this is just a very difficult time for a lot of people. As a result, that affects all of us.”

Hitting coach Marcus Thames, who is black, said the team meeting was something that needed to be done. He shared some of his experiences of racial inequality he’s dealt with in his life. Giancarlo Stanton believed the talk was important so different viewpoints could be heard. Both said the idea of not playing wasn’t seriously considered.

“You see it time and time again. You wonder when is it going to stop, when are people finally going to listen, when are you going to understand that you can help no matter what color you are?” Stanton, who is part black and part Puerto Rican, said. “It’s not a time to shut up and swing, shut up and dribble. That isn’t that time. It’s time to take reality for what it is, and start helping to make a damn change. This is unacceptable what’s been going on.”

Thames discusses the difficult job he has talking to his two black sons about racial inequality, and the examples of police brutality against black men that keep on happening. His 11-year-old son, Marcus Jr., has seen the video of Blake being shot seven times in the back and asks him difficult questions.

“He wants to know why this keeps happening,” Thames said. “We’re tired of it. It’s time for a change.”

Boone, for his part, is doing more than just talking about the issues. He is donating his paycheck on Friday — which is also Jackie Robinson Day — to The Players Alliance, joining the group of over 100 black current and former professional players who are donating their game salaries. The money goes to supporting the organization’s efforts to battle racial inequality and aid black families and communities that have been hit hard by recent events. Stanton, Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks are part of The Players Alliance.

“It was something that when I saw it, and I saw that the 100 players or so donated [on Friday],” Boone said, “it was something that me and my family wanted to be a part of as well.”