Roger Goodell: 'The NFL stands with the Black community'

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated league’s support for players fighting for racial justice and protesting police violence.

Citing a police officer shooting Jacob Blake in back on Aug. 23 in Kesha, Wisconsin, Goodell said incident has “brought forth more feelings of anger, frustration, anguish, fear for many of us in NFL family.”

investigation into police shooting of Blake, who is Black, is ongoing.

“ NFL stands with Black community, players, clubs and fans,” Goodell said Tuesday. “Confronting recent systemic racism with tangible and productive steps is absolutely essential. We will t relent in our work. We will redouble our efforts to be catalysts for urgent and sustainable change that our society and communities so desperately need. I’m so proud of everyone across our league and ors who have taken a stand using ir voices and platforms to continue to shine spotlight on things that must change. By listening and working and understanding with our players, we built foundation for tangible change through our Inspire Change initiative.”

NFL end zones will be inscribed this season with two slogans: “It Takes All Of Us” on one end line, “End Racism” on or. As part of its social justice awareness initiatives, NFL also will allow similar visuals on helmets and caps.

league anunced earlier this summer it is committing $250 million over 10 years to social justice initiatives. Goodell pointed out NFL Votes campaign and encourd teams to offer use of stadiums as polling centers.

Troy Vincent, league’s executive vice president of football operations said players have right to sit out or protest games. Teams across several sports leagues postponed games last week following Blake’s shooting.

“ players want to see us leveraging influence to hold officers that are bad officers to be held accountable,” Vincent said. “That access to meeting (district attorneys) and access to meeting with local officials to truly address reform and training. ... re has been a lot of work done but we still keep seeing same im play out on television of unarmed black men being shot down.”

Vincent said he’s encourd to see a shift among NFL owners to stand with players and support ir fight.

“I ask my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to allow me to be a bridge builder,” Vincent said. “And I try to stay on premises of educating wher that’s a player or a club owner. I just speak to humanity. And I would say in my dealings with club owners, y all have a heart. ... I do believe that some of things that we have seen transpire, y have seen transpire, it does something to heart. And we understand we’re t asking, players are t asking, for anything out of context and just asking for accountability to be administered and that people see this burden that many live, that an entire community, in particular Black community, that se injustices are happening

“I do believe that club owners are at a place over last few years, it’s taken some a little longer than ors, but it becomes a heart issue. And y do have an appreciation for humanity and y understand that we have to do this toger. players can’t do it alone. players understand that y can’t do without club owners. Club owners understand that it takes all of us to get to where we want to get as a better society.”

Im credits: AP