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Janae Pierre: This is The Takeaway. I'm Janae Pierre in for Melissa Harris-Perry, and it's time to look back at it to give you some updates on the stories we've been following.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will square off this Sunday in Super Bowl 57 but even before the players hit the Gridiron in Arizona this weekend, history is already being made. That's partly because of Travis and Jason Kelce, who will become the first pair of brothers to face off in Super Bowl history but sports pundits like Good Morning Football's Jason McCourty say that history will remember this game most by what's happening at the quarterback position.
Jason McCourty: Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts will write their own trailblazing chapter by becoming the first Black quarterbacks to face off in the Super Bowl.
Janae Pierre: There's only been seven Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl's 57-year history, and one of them is Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who's been in two previous runs for the Lombardi Trophy. Even though over half of NFL players identify as Black, Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts will become only the 8th Black quarterback to headline football's biggest stage. Before getting to this moment, we talked with ESPN's NFL senior writer Jason Reid back in September to discuss his book, Rise of the Black Quarterback. Jason shared some of the stories of hostility that faced the league's first Black QBs.
Jason Reid: When you hear the anecdotes, even though you know racism existed, but the anecdotes about the hate mail that these players received. The anecdotes about the chant at games, the way the N-word was just thrown around, what these men had to endure, what the pioneers had to endure, it really is a testament to their inner strength.
Janae Pierre: Even though the first Black quarterbacks were mistreated, Jason said the situation for Black quarterbacks in today's NFL tells a larger story about race in America.
Jason Reid: When the playing field is not completely level, but even somewhat level, and we're all allowed to compete based upon our merit and our intellect and our skills, that any among us can rise up and contribute to the fabric of the greatest country in this world.
Janae Pierre: The more than 50-year fight for Black quarterbacks is still an ongoing struggle. Speaking of ongoing struggles, for the past month, we've been bringing you to the South River Forest just outside of Atlanta to navigate another ongoing situation. The standoff at Cop City between Georgia law enforcement and environmental activists known as the Forest Defenders. Back in January, Governor Brian Kemp issued an emergency order to keep 1000 Georgia national guard troops on standby to help monitor protesters.
Speaker 1: ATD.
Protesters: Shut it down.
Speaker 1: ATS.
Protesters: Shut it down.
Speaker 1: JSE.
Protesters: Shut it down.
Janae Pierre: Last week, protesters opposed to Atlanta's $90 million police training facility blocked reporters from entering a press conference at city hall. For those who made it inside, Mayor Andre Dickens told the press that the training center is key to creating a better police force.
Mayor Andre Dickens: Our training includes vital areas like de-escalation training techniques, mental health, community-oriented policing, crisis intervention training, as well as civil rights history education. This training needs space.
Janae Pierre: But the proposed 85-acre facility for Police training has already claimed the life of a civilian. Last month, we discussed the death of Manuel Tortuguita Terán, who was killed by law enforcement at the proposed site of Cop City. An initial investigation from the GBI said Tortuguita fired at officers first, and initially there was no bodycam footage of the incident but last night, four bodycams from Atlanta Police Department officers were released. Just last week, attorneys said initial police reports of Tortuguita's death don't hold up to a new private autopsy.
Speaker 2: Manuel Tortuguita was killed, shot so many times, we can't even say exactly how many times he was shot. It was death by firing squad.
Janae Pierre: In their first address to the public, Tortuguita's family is demanding answers and calling on law enforcement to be held accountable.
Speaker 3: My call to action goes to the police officers. Find your moral courage and place your nation over loyalty to individuals. Forcibly stop each other from killing civilians.
Janae Pierre: According to the Civil Liberties Defense Center, Tortuguita is the first known environmental activist killed by law enforcement in US history. All right, Takeaway, you're all caught up with the stories we've been following. Hey, we have more on Cop City coming up. We'll be discussing a new film that's exploring the history of mock cities utilized for police training across America. This is The Takeaway.
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