Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores invoked Colin Kaepernick on Friday when he released a powerful message on the police-involved death of George Floyd.
Flores said in his statement he saw a totally different outrage when it came to Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem to bring awareness to social injustice in the U.S. – and to reports of incentives for NFL minority coaches and high-ranking positions – than what he sees now following the killings of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.
“I’ve had the privilege of being a part of many different circles that have included some very powerful and influential people of all different races and genders. The events of the last few weeks have brought some of the memories of those conversations back to light. I vividly remember the Colin Kaepernick conversations. ‘Don’t ever disrespect the flag’ was the phrase that I heard over and over again. This idea that players were kneeling in support of social justice was something some people couldn’t wrap their head around. The outrage that I saw in the media and the anger I felt in some of my own private conversations caused me to sever a few long-standing friendships,” Flores said in a statement.
“Most recently, I’ve had conversations about incentivizing teams for hiring minorities. Again, there was some outrage in the media and talks that this would cause division amongst coaches, executives, and ownership. I bring these situations up because I haven’t seen the same OUTRAGE from people of influence when the conversation turns to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and most recently George Floyd. Many people who broadcast their opinions on kneeling or on the hiring of minorities don’t seem to have an opinion on the recent murders of these young black men and women. I think many of them QUIETLY say that watching George Floyd plead for help is one of the more horrible things they have seen, but it’s said amongst themselves where no one can hear. Broadcasting THAT opinion clearly is not important enough."
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“I lead a group of young men who have the potential to make a real impact in this world. My message to them and anyone else who wants to listen is that honesty, transparency, and empathy go a long way in bringing people together and making change. I hope that the tragedies of the last few weeks will open our hearts and minds to a better way of communicating and hopefully create that change.”
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It’s unclear whether any sort of change will come in the NFL in terms of staging protests or hiring more minorities for high-ranking positions.
Flores is one of four minority head coaches in the NFL.