Charles Krupa / Associated Press
Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores on Friday used part of his availability in the media to talk about his experiences with racial injustice and police.
Flores told reporters he has “lived this” and has had “guns pointed at me by policemen. “
Flores has spoken out on issues of race, particularly in the last months since the murders of George Floyd in May and Breonna Taylor in March.
The Dolphins head coach released this statement on May 29 in the aftermath of Floyd’s murder:
‘I remember the Colin Kaepernick conversations alive. ‘Never respect the flag’ was the phrase I kept hearing. This idea of players kneeling in support of social justice was something some people could not shake their heads at. The anger I saw in the media and the anger I felt in some of my own private conversations caused me to break off some long-term friendships. Most recently, I have had conversations about encouraging teams to hire minorities. Again, there was some disgrace in the media and conversations that this would cause division between coaches, directors and property. I bring up these situations because I have not seen the same OUTRAGE of people of influence as the conversation turns to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and most recently George Floyd. Many people who express their opinions about kneeling or about hiring minorities do not seem to have an opinion about the recent murders of these young black men and women. ”
Coaches and athletes in all sports have used their platforms this week to take a stand.
Planned events in the NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLB, MLS and tennis have been postponed after players refused to play in the aftermath of Jacob Blake who was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer Sunday. .
Flores and the Dolphins are scheduled to open the regular season on Sept. 13 against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
