Declining to follow lead of Donald Trump’s White House, NFL will continue DEI initiatives WSOC TV [Video]

NEW ORLEANS — The NFL’s dedicated push to add diversity in all levels of America’s most popular sport will continue.

That was the message delivered by commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday during his annual state of the league address — declining to follow in the footsteps of some major U.S. corporations stripping away diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from their business models.

It’s a notable decision by the NFL, given the league’s extremely strong public profile and the recent trends opposing DEI initiatives in the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House. The NFL has supported a host of diversity initiatives throughout its structure, most notably including the league’s long-debated “Rooney Rule”, which mandates the interviewing of minority candidates during the hiring process of high-ranking coaches and executives.

“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League,” Goodell said on …