MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Community activist Luther Campbell is speaking out about the Brian Flores lawsuit and allegations of discrimination.
Campbell has been instrumental in churning out some football greats. He coached them after he founded the “Liberty City Warriors Youth Sports League,” some 30 years ago. Some of those big names include Chad Johnson, Duke Johnson, Devonta Freeman and Teddy Bridgewater.
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Campbell told CBS4 News he believes this lawsuit is needed and long overdue.
He also mentioned his thoughts on how the Miami Dolphins fit into all of this.
“I feel sad for the Dolphins because the Dolphins don’t fall into that same realm of not giving African Americans the opportunity to be coaches and general managers, which they have, obviously. And the things they do in the community. And at the end of the day that stadium sits in Miami Gardens which is one of the largest African American communities in the United States. They do good things for the community but the allegations of paying to lose games, that’s kinda sad. I hope that is not the case,” Campbell said.
In the lawsuit, Flores called for specific changes in the NFL to ensure racial diversity.
Campbell is skeptical that the suit will bring real change.
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“I think it will build another situation where they’ll find some token African American. He’ll go out and be the voice of this issue and say that the NFL is making some changes, get a t-shirt, do like they did before, take a knee. But at the end of the day, there has to be some serious changes,” Campbell said.
Campbell said that serious change needs to come from the very top. He said Black team owners will be key.
“The change needs to be from within. The NFL has to make bold steps instead of just a t-shirt and a pat on the back or some donations to Historical Black Colleges,” he said.
“The change has to come, ‘Oh, we’re going to open this thing up. The Broncos is open, up for sale, we’re going to really seriously look at an African American to be an owner of this team’ and not just some token African American, not just some Oprah, JZ of the usual suspects that they go an find. Need to get somebody real,” he said.
While Campbell says Black ownership is critical, he also believes there needs to be action from within the African American Community. “The only way of change is us as African Americans, we have to demand change. We have to say we’re not going to play football. We have to say we’re not going to look at football. And when you mess with the bottom line figure that is the only way you can change and I don’t see us as a people making that kind of sacrifice,” he said.
Campbell said bylaws need to change to reflect that either you show real diversity of lost draft picks.
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He wonders if current Black athletes in the NFL will speak up. He said many he spoke to are afraid to talk.
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