Super Bowl LVII is Sunday- 2 Black Quarterbacks will Vs. Each Other For the First Time Ever
As Black History Month kicks off its first week, this weekend marks Super Bowl LVII. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles face off on Sunday, history will be made at kickoff. While nearly 70% of NFL players are now people of color, for the first time ever, the game will feature two Black starting quarterbacks. Mahomes is one of only three Black quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl along with Doug Williams in 1988 and Russell Wilson, who triumphed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. For the Eagles, Hurts is the second Black quarterback to feature in the Super Bowl after Donovan McNabb in 2004.
Considering recent history, the NFL was disheveled when having to confront the Black Lives Matter movement back in 2016 when quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt before a game – he was 28 and was never again offered an NFL contract. The NFL has since apologized for their treatment of Kaepernick and settled for an undisclosed amount after the former player sued them for colluding with teams not to sign him. Fast forward to 2020 and George Floyd’s passing sparked protests nationwide. In a video titled “I am George Floyd” and posted on the NFL’s Twitter page, a group of NFL players including Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., DeAndre Hopkins and many more delivered a message condemning racism and the systematic oppression of black people” in a powerful video. The next day, Roger Goodell, the N.F.L. commissioner, released a videotaped message conceding to the NFL stars. Later that year, the N.F.L. announced it will commit a quarter of a billion dollars over 10 years to a fund to combat systemic racism and support the battle against injustices faced by African Americans denouncing racism and the systemic oppression of Black people.
We also can’t forget, in a 1957 photo published in November by The Washington Post, the future owner of the Dallas Cowboys, then 14, stood among a group of white teenagers who were blocking six Black students from desegregating his Arkansas high school.
The efforts made have represented a continued shift for the league, which in the past had been criticized as slow to support, or hostile to players who had demonstrated against racism and police violence. When we gather on Sunday to watch this historical game, remember to reflect on not only the growth but the authenticity of such leagues that use us to make their millions.
Without society’s push for equality and equity would the NFL be taking such measures to make their league– that is 70% black– unified for Black athletes to play?
My guess is no –hence the Civil Right Movement in the 1960s to present-day Black Lives Matter Movement– nevertheless being optimistic we can commend the effort. I wonder what stopped the NFL boycott that we started. Moreover, how one would like to support the mockery, be aware of what truly is happening here: a circus and we are the act.
Catch the game on Sunday, February 12th. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. local time.
