Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, cities in all 50 states saw their very own protests against police brutality and racial injustice. People are sick and tired of seeing videos of black people being killed by the cops and real change is being advocated for. Numerous athletes have stood up for what they believe in and we've actually seen some athletes put their lives on the line at these demonstrations.
Now, the NFL, and more specifically, Roger Goodell, is issuing a statement in support of those who want to protest. Of course, the NFL infamously blackballed Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the National Anthem but based on Goodell's remarks, it seems like the league is apologizing. As Goodell states, he wants to protest with the players and realizes the league was wrong for not listening four years ago.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1269034074552721408
"We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter," Goodell said.
Goodell also went on to say that the league is nothing without its African American players and that they hope to see positive changes in the future. With this latest statement, it's clear the NFL is done being silent when it matters.
