KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When the Chiefs take the field to open the 2020 NFL season, social justice messages will be in the end zones and on their helmets.

Opening night will also feature “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song known as the Black national anthem. But community outreach specialist Pat Clarke said he’d like to see the team raise the African American flag.

NFL will feature social justice statements stenciled in each team’s end zone during games

After the death of George Floyd sparked protests calling for social reform, leagues and teams have worked on plans to honor their feelings of their players and many of their fans.

“You look at the NBA, they have Black Lives Matter on the court. The coaches have it on their shirts. The players have it on their backs, but that flag flying above that says a lot right there,” Clarke said, referring to the flag at a press conference outside Arrowhead.

“The ring will present the flag of each Native American tribe, each immigrant group and the flag of the Americans of African descent,” Larry Goldblatt said reading the two-page proposal sent to the team.

Team representatives said Friday they didn’t think they had seen it yet. The flag was formally adopted 100 years ago last month.

“The red is for the blood, the black is for the people and the green is for the glory,” Clarke said of the flags colors.

Along with the rest of the NFL, the Chiefs will have phrases like “End Racism” and “It Takes All of Us” in the end zones. Pat hopes the two “Clarks” can be part of that us.

“Some great things can come out of this. It’s just that it’s going to take great people to make it happen,” he said. “Clark Hunt is apparently a great person because he put together a great team. And that’s all we are trying to do is put together the right team so America and Black America can work together to do what we need to do.”

The Chiefs announced changes last month to stop racial appropriation of American-Indian stereotypes, including a ban on headdresses and certain face paint. The team also said it would review “The Chop.”

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