Next Sunday marks Jalen Hurts’ second Super Bowl appearance in his four seasons as starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Patrick Mahomes’ fifth in seven seasons starting for the Kansas City Chiefs.
For most of the NFL’s first quarter-century of existence, Hurts and Mahomes would not have had the opportunity to play at all, and likely another four decades before they had the chance to start as quarterbacks.
The undeniable excellence of Hurts, Mahomes, and countless other Black athletes through the decades exposes the vicious lies of the so-called “anti-woke” movement currently wreaking havoc on racial justice initiatives across the nation.
Whether we call it diversity, equity, and inclusion; equal employment opportunity; affirmative action; or anti-discrimination — throwing open the doors of opportunity never fails to raise institutional standards and elevate organizational performance.
Does anyone actually believe that Major League Baseball didn’t admit a Black player until 1947 because Black players lacked “merit” before then? Now that Negro League statistics have been added to the historical record, it’s indisputable that some of the greatest baseball players in history were Black, but they never had the opportunity to compete against white players.
Only a fool would argue that the recruitment and development of Black athletes has lowered standards in their sports. In fact, it’s painfully obvious that upholding the barriers to Black participation is what kept standards lower, as teams denied themselves access to a rich pool of talent.
Has gymnastics been diminished by the rise of Dominique Dawes, Gabby Douglas or Simone Biles?
Contrary to the misinformation spewed by the opponents of racial justice, DEI policies improve performance by giving institutions and organizations — including sports teams — easier access to a broader pool of talent. For most of the nation’s history, that pool of talent was limited mainly to white men. Not a single human endeavor ever has been improved by excluding people of proficiency.
Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, better known as filmdom’s Tarzan, set a world record of 58.6 seconds for the 100-meter freestyle in 1922. Lea Neal, a Black swimmer who medaled in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, swam the 100-meter freestyle in 56.87 seconds in 2008 when she was 12 years old. She was able to compete because of a scholarship awarded out of a commitment to diversity — precisely the kind of opportunity the “anti-woke” crusaders are eager to destroy.
Naturally, there are those who resent having to compete against a broader pool of talent, and they have found their champions in the Trump administration and others who crusade against racial justice and DEI policies. The misconceptions surrounding DEI are no accident, but a deliberate tactic to reinforce white advantage.
The absurdity of the anti-diversity movement reached new heights last week when a highly-decorated four-star general was replaced as secretary of defense by a television personality who achieved the rank of major in the Army National Guard and whose tattoos include a symbol adopted by white supremacist groups.
When you’re watching the incredibly talented athletes of diverse ethnicities in football’s biggest game on Feb. 9, remember that DEI created the opportunity for them to compete, and continues to raise the bar of excellence year after year.
Marc H. Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League and was mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002. He writes a twice-monthly column for the Sun-Times.
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