When Brian Flores and Mike Pence spoke up, America needed the truth
If one critical concern has always hurt America, it is the constant silence from those who need to speak out. When the desire to speak up is restrained by intimidation, fear, selfishness, misguided loyalty, or insensitivity, it is a trap many people find themselves unwilling or unable to escape. But there are times when the best interests or safety of the public becomes an overriding factor; therefore, silence is not always golden. After the 9/11 attacks, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign.
This anti-terrorism initiative not only raised public awareness to report suspicious activity, but it became very effective in reversing New Yorkers’ see-something-do-nothing mindset. This see-something-do-nothing attitude has overtaken today’s GOP and even some parts of the National Football League. During a recent poll, many GOP voters shared their disapproval of the NFL’s efforts to increase the consideration of minority candidates for head coaching positions and respect its Black players. It is a total reflection of the political culture we now have in 2022. The poll was conducted after former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams alleging race discrimination in hiring practices. Brian Flores, who is Black, saw something and said something.
It is no surprise that today’s political environment directly influences how many people view the NFL, where 70 percent of its players are Black. When NFL players began protesting the treatment of Blacks by police, former President Donald Trump advised team owners to fire players who knelt during the national anthem and encouraged fans to leave the stadiums in protest, which is what then-Vice President Mike Pence did as a pre-planned stunt during a regular-season game in Indianapolis in 2017. By fanning the flames in this manner, the former president perpetuated a racially divisive undercurrent that still exists. Today, many registered Republicans are less of a fan of the league than they were five years ago, which is why Flores’ professional courage is a reminder of the long legacy of sacrifices whistleblowers make.
Black players, coaches, and front-office staff who seek upward mobility needed someone like Flores to speak up. His words highlight the practices of a billion-dollar corporation and its team owners. Whether you are a sports fan or not, this divisive environment cries out for people to know that “glass cliff” assignments are, unfortunately, a common practice of businesses throughout corporate America, including NFL teams. A “glass cliff” assignment is one in which women or members of minority groups are promoted to positions of power in situations where there is a higher likelihood of failure, and upper management doesn’t expect long-term success—it is essentially being set up to fail. But the former Miami Dolphins coach was not a failure. He was fired despite coaching the Dolphins’ first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003. In addition, his team won eight of their final nine games to complete the 2021 season.
Flores may not ever coach again in the NFL, but the risk did not keep him silent. He filed his 58-page lawsuit on the first day of Black History Month, and other Black coaches later expressed similar experiences, frustrations, and complaints. Flores said in a written statement, “In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come.”
Three days after Flores announced his lawsuit, Mike Pence gave a speech in Florida where, for the first time, he publicly stated, “President Trump is wrong,” referencing claims by the president that Pence had the power to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The American people needed to hear that from Pence in this atmosphere of misinformation among Republicans.
Pence and Flores are two men who have an unlikely connection; the same people hate them. The same Trump-influenced Republicans who turned on the former vice president, eventually calling him a traitor, are likely the same group resentful of the former Miami coach’s fight for racial fairness.
Despite this unusual bond, the two men have entirely different levels of courage in their responses to injustice. Pence’s speech, and everything he has done since leaving office, is not courageous. He hasn’t said or done enough to show he is fighting for the greater cause. In this case, making sure the next presidential election is not overturned or subject to another domestic insurrection. Flores went nuclear by going to the extreme. Pence, on the other hand, needs to do the same by testifying in public before the Jan. 6 House committee. Anything less shows a man trapped by fear of Trump’s supporters.
David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America. He can be reached at www.davidwmarshallauthor.com.
