NFL, Black Women’s Roundtable Finally Meet to Tackle Domestic Violence

[niyad]

NFL, Black Women’s Roundtable Finally Meet to Tackle Domestic Violence


National Football League Commissioner, Roger Goodell finally met with members of the Black Women’s Roundtable last week after failing to invite any women of color to weigh in on the League’s initial plan
of action on domestic violence.Two months ago, Goodell announced the formation of an advisory board tasked with leading institutional reforms related to relationship violence and sexual assault. Goodell appointed an all white female trio to lead the advisory board, despite the over-representation of African Americans in the NFL, and as the Black Women’s Roundtable pointed out, despite the overwhelming representation of African American women among relationship violence victims.

In an open letter to Goodell, Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civil Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable called on the League to bring a more diverse pool of experts to the table to ensure the diversity of the people impacted by any changes is reflected.

According to the New York Daily News, the League has appointed at least one black female to the Advisory Board since the group was formed in September. Campbell said the two-hour meeting on Friday with the commissioner “covered a lot of ground.”

The meeting comes just as Ray Rice waits for the outcome of an arbitration hearing that could lead to his reinstatement with the NFL. Conflicting testimony about Rice’s confession to the commissioner has again brought Goodell under fire. During the two days of hearings, Ravens’ General Manager Ozzie Newsome reportedly testified that Rice did not lie to the Commissioner about punching his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer Rice. However, Goodell has repeatedly said Rice was “ambiguous” about his actions. That contradiction could determine the outcome of Rice’s appeal, which is entirely based on the claim that Goodell punished Rice twice for the same incident.

http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2014/11/17/nfl-black-womens-roundtable-finally-meet-to-tackle-domestic-violence/

[theHandpuppet]

1. On so many levels, the men in power just don't get it.

[niyad]

2. one wonders how they can continue to remain so completely clueless and tone-deaf.