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Racism + Sports
Once Upon a Time, a Football Player Took a Knee
Unpacking the latest on NFL systemic racism
Once upon a time, a football player took a knee.
He didn’t yell, he didn’t scream.
He was calm and full of peace.
But the world chose not to hear him.
And instead, a knee was later sunk into a black life.
Turning up the volume on systemic racism, — more impolite than they could’ve ever imagined.
While HBCU’s were the subject target of threats at the rise of Black History month, — the same day, — the NFL was being served on a target platter. On February 1, 2022, NFL Coach Brian Flores filed a class-action suit against the organization, in conjunction with the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and New York Giant organizations, respectively. Flores’ suit against the team organizations alleges systemic racism in hiring practices.
The 58-page lawsuit comes almost a month after his firing as head coach from the Miami Dolphins and after what Flores referenced as his refusal to purposefully lose games for greater chances at better draft picks, accepting money for game losses, and tampering with a quarterback before free agency.
