Colts Announce Initiatives to Further Support the Local Black Community

The Indianapolis Colts organization on Thursday announced a number of new initiatives in order to help further support the local Black community:

In the wake of the senseless killing of George Floyd in Minnesota—which was the boiling over point for our country after a long history of racially charged police brutality and injustices against black victims, the Colts have created constructive means that the franchise can seek to spark positive social change by providing local support to the Indianapolis Black community.

This includes the creation of a full-time Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion position, the Irsay Family Impact Scholarship, and honoring the history of June 19th, 1865, as a permanent company recognized holiday.

Recently, the NFL as a whole has shifted its stance on publicly recognizing the inequality and injustices present today in our country towards Black people—especially by now emphasizing the players’ rights to peacefully protest and kneel during the National Anthem.

The Colts’ organizational leadership—including general manager Chris Ballard have already passionately spoke out on our country’s existing racial inequality and social injustice—and acknowledged that there’s clearly still plenty of work to be performed as what’s been done, hasn’t been nearly enough:

One could very well argue, ‘Why so late?’ for the Colts organization to form such a realization and take a stronger stance on racial injustice and inequality.

However, it’s better to be late than never at all.

At least the Colts are letting their actions right now speak louder than their words ever could to truly make a necessary social difference upon society.

The franchise looks to be on the forefront of NFL franchises as far as it relates to actually creating constructive means to spark necessary social change regarding racial inequality and injustice—beyond public donations (not that there’s anything wrong with the latter).

It remains a tumultuous time period for this country—with still ongoing civil unrest and protest; however, at least the Colts are among those NFL teams looking to make a meaningful positive impact in the Black community—and that’s something to be proud of.