Feb 6, 2025 Story by: Editor
NEW ORLEANS — The end zones at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday will display the message “Choose Love,” marking the first time since 2021 that the championship game will not feature “End Racism.” While some see this as a shift in messaging, others argue that removing “End Racism” contradicts its very purpose and highlights its ongoing relevance.
“Any time you talk about ending ‘isms’ is more than just a slogan, it’s a reminder for people,” said New Orleans City Council member Oliver Thomas on Wednesday at the NFL’s Inspire Change event in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward. “Look, we love the NFL, we love our sports activities, but we also love life and respect the history of life.”
Thomas, one of the first to arrive at the event, was born and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward, a district he has represented on the city council since 2021.
“When you talk about any discrimination and eradicating ‘isms,’ until we’re all on the same page, pages are gonna be torn,” Thomas said. “We need to make sure those pages aren’t torn, but that we write new pages and create new chapters.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took the stage to address the Lower Ninth Ward community, speaking before a predominantly Black audience following the league’s decision, which was first reported Tuesday by The Athletic. Despite the controversy, Goodell was warmly received, with enthusiastic applause from the crowd. However, he was unavailable for comment afterward, spending the remainder of the event accompanied by NFL personnel and security.
Former NFL star and 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year Thomas Davis followed Goodell, emphasizing the importance of giving back to communities and fostering equitable opportunities.
Speaking after his time on stage, the former Carolina Panthers offensive lineman shared his thoughts on the removal of the “End Racism” message from the Super Bowl end zones.
“I think that (the league has) done a great job of pushing the agenda and driving the narrative,” Davis said. “I think at this point, it has been delivered in a huge way. I mean, I think the league has taken a great initiative, when a lot of people were against it and the NFL didn’t care, they stood strong.”
Davis, who founded the Defending Dreams Foundation in 2008 to promote equity among underprivileged children, stressed that NFL athletes should focus on their performance during games, while using their platform off the field to support important causes.
Philadelphia Eagles tackle Darian Kinnard echoed this sentiment. Having been part of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs roster in 2022 and a practice squad member in 2023, Kinnard has witnessed the “End Racism” message in past Super Bowl end zones.
“The game that we love is football, and the game we’re all here to play is football,” Kinnard said. “At the end of the day, (what a player does off the field) doesn’t affect how he plays. I feel like we all come here to play, play the sport, play the game we love, and we’re not trying to drag that onto the field.”
Thomas also pointed to a CNBC report from last February highlighting how Black men remain underrepresented in influential spaces due to racial inequity. He believes this imbalance had consequences in the 2024 presidential election, where Donald Trump secured 20% of the Black male vote—an increase of seven percentage points from the 2020 race.
“You want me to be in the voting booth, to be a product of your elections, but not every other category that matters,” Thomas said. “Until they rectify those pieces, our social class is still being persecuted. We may be OK on the field, but not off the field. We may be OK running to play but not designing the play.” Source: MEDILL
