WASHINGTON (TND) — The NFL released its 2023 “Inspire Change” hats Tuesday, a line of headwear showcasing a slew of social justice messages.
Hats from all 32 NFL teams feature gray, white and black colors printed with terms such as “Economic Opportunities,” “Police Community Relations,” “Criminal Justice Reform” and “Social Justice.” The hats, which are released annually, range in price from $18 to $45.
It’s the latest move in the league’s Inspire Change initiative, which began in 2017 as a player-owned social justice committee. In 2020, the NFL announced it would contribute $250 million to the cause over the next 10 years.
Inspire Change has influenced the passage of laws around the U.S. and also led to the creation of social justice messaging in NFL field end zones and on player helmets. The league touts the initiative as showcasing how the it is “joining together to ensure that access to opportunity is a reality for all and to create progress in police-community relations, criminal justice reform, and education and economic advancement.”
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In 2021, the initiative drew the ire of the National Fraternal Order of Police, which issued a statement on the initiative’s perceived anti-police efforts.
“I find it incredibly ironic that NFL teams travel and play every week under the protection of local law enforcement,” the statement reads. “The NFL pays for this security because they want their venues and attendees to be safe. Now, we learn they are sending thousands of dollars to groups whose mission is to end policing and our system of justice.”
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Some NFL players have advocated for the initiative’s messaging on their own. Earlier this month, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud called the U.S. criminal justice system “corrupt” while speaking at a post-game press conference after the team’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His father is currently serving a sentence of 38 years to life in a California prison after pleading guilty to carjacking, kidnapping and robbery charges in 2015.
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