The National Football League (NFL) has confirmed that the "End Racism" slogans, which have been a fixture in the end zones since 2020, will not be featured in Super Bowl LIX.
These slogans were initially introduced as a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained momentum following the death of George Floyd. The decision comes on the heels of an announcement that President Donald Trump will be attending the Super Bowl, scheduled to commence at 6:30 pm EST on Sunday at the Caesers Superdome in New Orleans.
According to The Post Millennial, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed the changes to the end zone inscriptions to USA Today Sports. The phrases 'Choose Love' and 'It Takes All of Us' will replace the previous slogans. McCarthy stated, "The Super Bowl is often a snapshot in time and the NFL is in a unique position to capture and lift the imagination of the country. 'Choose Love' is appropriate to use as our country has endured in recent weeks wildfires in southern California, the terrorist attack here in New Orleans, the plane and helicopter crash near our nation's capital, and the plane crash in Philadelphia."
The NFL began incorporating the "end racism" slogan beneath end zones during the 2020 season openers as part of its "Inspire Change" initiative. This initiative continued into the following year and has been a part of nearly every game since 2021. High-level NFL staff were informed earlier this week that the slogan would not be featured in the upcoming Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The decision coincides with President Donald Trump's recent move to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the federal government upon assuming office last month. However, the NFL did not confirm whether these changes were a response to the president's attendance.
Despite many businesses across the nation retracting their DEI policies in light of Trump's return to the White House, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reaffirmed the league's commitment to its diversity initiatives on Monday. Goodell stated at the annual state-of-the-NFL press conference, "I am proud in this sense in that I believe our diversity efforts are making the NFL better. It's attracted better talent. We think when we get different perspectives, people with different backgrounds, whether they're women or men or people of color, we make ourselves stronger."
Goodell further emphasized the league's commitment to diversity, stating, "And we make ourselves better when we have that. It's something that I think will have a tremendous impact on this league for many, many years. We win on the field with the best talent and the best coaching and I think the same is true off the field. We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League. And we're going to continue these efforts because we not only convinced ourselves but have proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better."
Goodell concluded by saying, "We're not in this because there's a trend to get in or a trend to get out. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League both on and off the field." The NFL's decision to remove the "End Racism" slogans from the Super Bowl end zones, while maintaining its commitment to diversity, reflects the league's nuanced approach to addressing societal issues.
Login