On June 12, 2020 episode of "SmackDown", Big E and Kingston (acting as a duo because Woods was injured), then SmackDown Tag Team Champions, both took a knee and raised a fist in the air, in homage to George Floyd, whose murder the previous month had raised worldwide protests against racial injustice; they also wore armbands not usually part of their wrestling attires, on which were written names of other individuals whose deaths were due to racial injustice: Shukri Abdi on Big E's, and Tamla Horsford and Breonna Taylor on Kingston's. The gesture was praised within the wrestling community and by media outlets, with "Sports Illustrated" calling it "a pivotal moment", "Essentially Sports" calling it "a huge statement" and "Forbes" stated: "With WWE the only live event promotion that has remained intact throughout the pandemic, the powerful message by Kofi Kingston and Big E figure to be part of a new normal once American sports are reopened as the current climate now demands more action to be taken in the still-harrowing fight against racial injustice." Big E stated the following August that the moment "was important to us", stating: "It was something that really weighed on us, and we felt like we really needed to make a statement. [...] We want to work toward a better world, a better society, and it’s been really heartwarming to see the amount of support for that. We want to continue to have a positive impact on our world and be worthy of people's fandom." Just three days prior to Big E and Kingston's kneeling on "SmackDown", the two and Woods opened up about their personal experiences with racism and their thoughts on Floyd's killing on The New Day's podcast "Feel the Power".