American society is still in the midst of its fight for equality and the eradication of racial discrimination. In line with the Black Lives Matter movement, the NFL has decided to play “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, in Week 1 of its coming season.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” has already been a staple in the African-American culture over the years. It was written by James Weldon Johnson, a historian, author, and civil rights activist. Johnson personally witnessed racism and different levels of police brutality during the 1900s.
Over at the New York Times, former NFL talent Donte Stallworth claimed this wasn't enough, suggesting the league needs to do more to hire minority coaches, and worry less about these kind of optics.
The league had plenty of opportunities to be accountable for racism issues. It could have supported Colin Kaepernick and other players who took a knee four years ago. They didn't consider to see the reality that these players were fighting for. Kneeling during the national anthem was their outlet to protest against police brutality and racial inequities in the American justice system.
Recently, several NFL stars collaborated for a video uniting and appealing for a change in the system. The inclusion of Super Bowl LIV's most valuable player Patrick Mahomes in the video became the dealbreaker for the league. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell then issued an apology for not listening to the players' stances regarding societal issues.
The league should take steps in order to show the people that the league is sincere in its commitment to fight the issues. First, the owners must immediately stop raising money for President Trump. Supporting an individual who is clearly not keen on supporting the Black Lives Matter movement is comparable to the owners betraying their players. Second, the league must be open to bringing more Black head coaches and Black executives, not just players. And lastly, the Washington-based team must change its nickname which is clearly indicative of an insult toward Native Americans.
The author of the opinion piece, Donté Stallworth, played 10 seasons in the National Football League.
It will clearly take some time for the NFL to be able to improve their ways for the betterment of the league and its players. In the end, all lives can't matter until Black Lives Matter.
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