After nearly four years since Colin Kaepernick took his first knee, and several more high-profiled deaths of unarmed Black Americans by White police officers, the National Football League––in a roundabout way––has finally admitted their wrongdoings.
In a response to the recent nationwide events surrounding the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement via Twitter on behalf of himself and the NFL.
“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,” said Goodell.
When he said that the nationwide protests “are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of Black players, coaches, fans and staff”, it felt phony.
While this issue is the centerpiece of the recent nationwide protests, this describes what the has NFL done (and is doing) to their Black players, coaches, and staff.