San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was among the many NFL coaches and players commenting on race relations this week given the backdrop of ongoing protests and demonstrations by Americans against racial injustice and police brutality.
Shanahan, a 40-year-old entering his fourth season with the 49ers, confirmed with reporters on Thursday morning that he and the team have been in communication about the nation's widespread protests, saying “that not a day's gone by where we haven't discussed it,” per The Athletic's Matt Barrows.
The San Francisco head coach, who took the Niners to their first Super Bowl appearance in seven years back in February's Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, continued speaking about the existence of racism in the U.S.: “It's very clear. I don't want to debate it anymore. Open your eyes.”
Per 49ers reporter Keiana Martin on Twitter:
“People are hurting. Black people mainly are scared. And the disturbing thing is they’ve been scared for a long time. This is their cry for help that they’ve been giving for a long time. … And everyone is at fault for that.”
Shanahan and the 49ers represent one of the most diverse metropolitans in the country: San Francisco and the Bay Area, a city for individuals of all walks of life. The Niners hired Katie Sowers as an offensive assistant back in 2017. Sowers, an openly gay woman, became an image for the need for diversity in the NFL and the considerable lack of different faces in top management and coaching positions in the professional league.
One silver lining from the outcry of justice long awaited by many in this country especially this past week and going forward, could be a recognition and real effort to include people of color and marginalized men and women into the fold, particularly in sports. Shanahan and the 49ers certainly have taken steps in that direction.
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