Jack Brewer explains the impact of the fatherlessness crisis
Jack Brewer, CEO of The Brewer Group, details the profound fatherlessness crisis, particularly noting that 72% of black children in the U.S. grow up without a present father. He emphasizes the detrimental societal impacts, from incarceration rates to youth behavior, advocating for more active male mentorship and involvement in youth sports to counter negative media influences.
In case you missed it, the NFL will once again put “End Racism” & “Stop Hate” in the end zones, as well as allow social justice messages on helmets for the 2026 season. It’s clearly virtue signaling that does nothing of substance. It was objectively a knee-jerk reaction to the woke wave of 2020. Instead of virtue signaling with statements about racism in a league that is predominately Black, I have a few “social justice” messages that would actually make a positive impact.
Before I share my suggestions, let me take you back to 2020.
The NFL first introduced “End Racism” in its end zones in 2020, following the nationwide race riots and destructive protests after the death of George Floyd and growing pressure from NFL players. On July 27, 2020, the league told teams that “End Racism” and “It Takes All of Us” would be stenciled in opposite end zones during Week 1 and home openers. They obviously framed the death of Floyd as racism and went along with a narrative that America and its police force, many of which helped keep teams and fans safe at every stadium around the country throughout the season, are racist. The NFL said the initiative was designed to show “how football and the NFL brings people together to work as one and use our example and our actions to help conquer racism.” There you have it. They explained without a doubt that they believe racism is a major issue and it must be “conquered” through messaging in the end zones. I’m chuckling writing this.
A general view of signage in the end zone that reads, “End Racism” during the first quarter between the Los Angeles Rams and the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (Getty Images)
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Commissioner Roger Goodell subsequently confirmed that the social justice messaging was part of the league’s “Inspire Change” program, which was developed in consultation with players and the NFL Players Association. The move came shortly after Goodell acknowledged that the NFL had been “wrong” for not listening to players earlier regarding racism.
One of the best responses to all of this was from Barstool’s PFT Commentator, who said, “I used to be racist as f— until the NFL painted “End Racism” in the end zone.” That was the perfect way to expose the nonsensical nature of the initiative. It was divisive and eye-roll inducing. The fact the league is still pushing this messaging is laughable, but if they really wanted to tackle issues facing our nation and the black community, here are a few messaging suggestions to replace “End Racism”:
End Fatherlessness
Fatherlessness is an epidemic. There is a large number of children growing up without their biological father living in the home, and research consistently links the absence of a father in the home with disadvantages in education, behavior, economic stability and later-life outcomes. The NFL should lean into this because the issue is particularly pronounced among Black Americans.
A Congressional Research Service report found that 64% of African-American children lived apart from their biological fathers in 2012, compared with about one-third of children overall. Research on the Fragile Families data found that 51% of African-American fathers in the study had been incarcerated by the time their child was five, and children whose fathers had been incarcerated showed significantly more behavioral problems. These disadvantages can carry into school and eventually the workforce: studies have found paternal incarceration is associated with lower school readiness and educational outcomes, while research by American economist Raj Chetty and colleagues found that Black boys who grow up in communities with greater Black father presence have higher employment rates and are less likely to be incarcerated as adults. There are other factors that effect children in these communities, but the evidence suggests that having an involved father can be an important protective factor that improves a child’s chances of succeeding academically, economically and socially. It would be an initiative the NFL could lean into that could have a positive impact in a tangible way.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins’ helmet shows an END RACISM sticker before a game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sept. 19, 2021. (USA TODAY Sports)
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End Abortion
There is no denying that abortion is a very emotional, highly debated topic in America. It’s undoubtedly been an issue that has effected the black community more than any other in America. Since 2020, stats show an estimated 4+ million abortions have occurred from 2020 through 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Again, the issue is particularly significant in the Black community: in 2022, Black women accounted for 39.5% of reported abortions despite representing a much smaller percentage of women of reproductive age, and their abortion rate of 24.4 per 1,000 women was 4.3 times the rate for White women (5.7 per 1,000).
The NFL was so upset and bent out of shape by the death of George Floyd that they made a definitive stance against unjustified deaths, so how about standing up against the injustice of child death, NFL? You could help save millions of innocent lives if you made an effort to provide resources, curriculum, and dove head first into community outreach in this area.
A stop hate banner hangs on a goalpost before the Carolina Panthers’ game against the San Francisco 49ers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 9, 2022. (Getty Images)
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End Hunger
Hunger is a major issue in Black communities in the United States, with 9.2 million Black Americans experiencing food insecurity in 2023—about 22.4% of the Black population, compared with 10.4% of non-Hispanic White Americans. Black children are especially vulnerable: 27% lived in food-insecure households, meaning roughly 1 in 4 Black children did not have consistent access to enough food. Hunger can obviously affect a child’s health, concentration, academic performance and long-term development.
The NFL is uniquely positioned to help because of its enormous reach and resources in many of the communities most affected. The league could expand its existing community programs by partnering with food banks, funding mobile food pantries, providing meals to children during the offseason and directing team charitable dollars toward local food-security programs.
The NFL already has a framework for this through Inspire Change, which has directed more than $375 million toward social-justice and community organizations, including programs focused on economic advancement and opportunity. If the NFL wants to make a tangible difference in Black communities, fighting hunger is one area where its money, visibility and local team infrastructure could produce an immediate and measurable impact.
The NFL has the ability to actually do something of value, not just virtue signal after the death a Black man that was politicized to make people believe police officers were hunting black folks, America was foundationally racist, and racism was more than just a fringe issue causing institutional harm to the black community.
