Civil rights coalition pens letter to Goodell rebuking national anthem rule

A 28-member coalition of civil rights groups and activists penned a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday, blasting the league for implementing a rule that requires players to stand for the national anthem if they're on the sidelines prior to a game.

The coalition, which includes the NAACP, ACLU, and prominent activists DeRay McKesson and Al Sharpton, begun their letter by chastising the NFL for repressing "peaceful, non-disruptive protest":

Dear Mr. Goodell:

The undersigned organizations, each of which is devoted to protecting the full civil and human rights of all Americans, write to strongly object to the National Football League’s coercive new rule requiring players to stand during the national anthem. This policy represses peaceful, non-disruptive protest of police violence against unarmed African Americans and other people of color. It is disappointing that a league built on grit and competition lacks the constitution to stomach a call for basic equality and fairness.

The letter also cites numerous data points showing the disparity between the number of black players on the field and the number of minorities in positions of power in the league, noting that no team has a majority owner who is African-American or Hispanic.

"Compelling players to stand for the national anthem erodes the values that the flag represents and tells the world that the NFL does not care about racial justice. We urge you to reconsider your position," the coalition added.

Players continued to protest police brutality and racial inequality during the national anthem throughout the 2017 season, which resulted in President Donald Trump imploring owners to fire players who did so.

After the season ended - and following national backlash to the protests along with player's individual efforts to meet with Congress to discuss policy initiatives - the league implemented its new anthem policy.

The NFL has yet to offer a public response to Monday's letter. You can read the entire letter here.