49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Thursday spoke to local media in a video conference and addressed the country’s ongoing protests of systemic racism and police brutality.
The 49ers were active on social media supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, and CEO Jed York issued a statement where he announced a $1 million donation to local charities aimed at facilitating change.
Shanahan delivered a pointed answer about racism, police brutality, and the need for societal change when asked about the protests.
Here’s his full answer in a transcription from the Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman:
“And white people have to acknowledge that his is a fact. This isn’t debatable,” Shanahan said. “And there’s nothing more apparent than what happens numbers-wise with black people and what’s going on with the police force. And the numbers say it. Also, live experiences of all black people say it. And that’s something that isn’t debatable. We can’t confuse that with anything else or any individual. That’s a fact. It’s gone on way too long. I think now, I think white people are listening more than I’ve ever heard before, which is good. And that’s a starting point. Because it’s happened too long. It’s very clear, and I don’t want to debate it anymore. No one does. Open your eyes.”
The strong statement was part of a 30-minute video conference where Shanahan also denounced the lack of diversity among NFL head coaches after Broncos head coach Vic Fangio on Wednesday said he doesn’t see racism at all in the NFL. Here’s Shanahan’s quote via Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn:
“I think they’re trying to address it. They’re talking about it. I saw what Vic said and I saw him apologize for it. It’s tough because white people don’t feel it. You’re not going to think that person is racist. But you know what? How the heck are there only four black head coaches out of 32? And only two GMs? The majority of our players are black, so the fact that there are that few, that’s not debatable. I don’t know if people are openly thinking they’re doing it, but that’s what the problem is. That number is not debatable. And that is an issue. We talk about it a lot and it is something that has to get better.”
Shanahan’s conference call came hours after Drew Brees received some criticism for his apology for saying he wouldn’t support teammates protesting police brutality by kneeling for the national anthem. Some of that criticism came from 49ers players, who Shanahan said have been impressive in daily discussions about race issues during the team’s video meetings.
“I’m all for protests,” Shanahan said. “I’m all for change. I hope the protests cause change.”
