Florida State Attorney James Uthmeier sent a cease-and-desist letter to the NFL. Uthmeier stated that the Rooney Rule violates Florida state law by requiring race-based considerations in hiring. The letter states that the state of Florida may bring a civil action against the three Florida franchises (Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Miami Dolphins) and the NFL if the NFL doesn't end the practice. 53.5% of the NFL is comprised of Black players. There are 3 Black head coaches in the NFL. The NFL had six Black head coaches in 2011.
This move is consistent with the Republican Party's embracing of Project 2025. In a nutshell, Project 2025 is the Republican Party's refresh of the failed Southern Strategy from the 1950s — a racist document designed to keep Black Americans as permanent second-class citizens without voting rights. Think of it as the 21st-century refresh of the movie Odyssey. During the 2024 Presidential election, Trump denied any knowledge of or affiliation with Project 2025. Here is a list of the authors of Project 2025 and the positions they hold in the Trump Cabinet.
While calling out the NFL for implementing a policy that allows Black and minority coaching candidates to secure one of these scarce, highly valued positions, the state of Florida is ignoring the fact that its top state university has only had 3 Black head coaches in 158 years of athletic competition:
Republicans look past the lack of inclusion of Black and minority candidates because they do not value diversity. The Trump Cabinet is a living testament. It is the least diverse cabinet in the modern political era: one Black cabinet member of 23, one Hispanic cabinet member, and Marco Rubio. Judging by their party's platform, we can infer that this is how they believe things should be. They have made Black and minority exclusion a feature of their political platform. If you disagree, make sure you are registered to vote in this year's November Midterms.