Jaguars owner Shad Khan on racism and opportunity in America

Racism, in all its forms, will kill. It kills people, it kills communities, it kills dreams, it kills hope.

-Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan possesses a unique voice to add to the current national conversation about race in America. Back in 2012 when he purchased the team, Khan became the first minority owner of an NFL franchise. In a league dominated by African-American players, Khan is now just one of three owners born outside of the United States. As the country continues to grapple with issues of race and police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Khan added his perspective to the discussion on Thursday.

In a lengthy piece posted on the team website, Khan began by outlining how Floyd’s death is just one piece in a vast mosaic that is leaving the African-American community shattered:

The events of the past 10 days have been alarming and disheartening. Alarming because we know the history of systemic inequity that brought us to this point, not only with the recent killing of George Floyd and other African Americans in our country, but also the disproportionate impact the coronavirus has wreaked in communities of color. Disheartening because this familiar sequence of killing, followed by protest and civic unrest, followed by inactivity and silence, occurs ever more frequently in our nation.

Khan continued by speaking directly to Floyd’s killing, highlighting the fear that so many African-American parents face as they raise their children and the difficult discussions they have to endure as they prepare their children for life:

The video capturing the final moments of George Floyd’s life offer the latest horrific evidence of injustice that is all too prevalent in the U.S. No families in this country should have to go to bed at night worrying about whether their children are going to encounter the wrong police officer in the wrong moment. No families should have to worry about their child losing their life just because of the color of their skin. Yet, they do. That should never happen in what should be, and I still believe is, the greatest nation on the planet.

Khan’s background offers a different perspective to these issues, and the owner outlines his journey to team ownership. He came to the states back in 1967 – another time when the nation was struggling with what seems to be the very issues we face today – with just $500 in his pocket. But thanks to the “opportunities to learn and succeed,” Khan is now an American citizen and one of the most powerful men in the most popular sport in the country.

Despite this, Khan still faced – and faces – discrimination:

Nonetheless, while I pursued my goals as a student and later in the workforce, being a Muslim-American made me a frequent target of prejudice, discrimination and hatred. I won’t claim to know what it means to be a young African American today, but I can speak honestly and painfully to my own experiences as a person of color for the past 53 years in this country. Even recently, I have had people spew racist language in my presence when talking about other people of color — apparently ignorant of my ethnicity. Change for all people of color in the United States is long overdue, and it must happen now.

Beyond offering his thoughts on the greater issues facing the nation, Khan outlines potential solutions, and what he is doing personally to bring about the “long overdue” change. Khan describes how this nation gave him so many chances to succeed” “I benefited tremendously from hundreds of good and generous people early on, from all walks of life, who supported me unconditionally and contributed mightily to my realization of the American Dream. My classmates, professors, fraternity brothers, colleagues, friends and family all helped to shape the person I am today. Opportunity and some help along the way allow us all to do great things.”

To that end, Khan is committing, along with the team, to investing in “developments we envision for downtown Jacksonville, where new jobs will result in immediate and sustainable livelihoods.” Khan firmly believes that people need opportunities – and hope – to break the “relentless cycle of poverty and oppression.” Furthermore, the owner states that:

My overarching goal, or mission, is to do my part to level the playing field so everyone has the same access and opportunity to achieve the American Dream, without fear or compromise. As a member of the NFL family, I recognize I have a unique opportunity to address inequity wherever it is present, expand opportunity for all who seek it, and seek justice for all who deserve it. I take that responsibility seriously.

But Khan also realizes that there are steps that need to be taken within the Jaguars’ family:

I frequently meet with Jaguars players to better understand their experiences and concerns.  I can only imagine their range of emotions today in the wake of all that has unfolded in 2020.  I know they are hurting, yet also committed to doing good in Jacksonville and the communities where they were raised and will always consider home. Mindful of this, I will listen to the players in the days ahead with an exceptionally keen ear so we can work with them to make the transition from conversation to actionable plans in the name of lasting change. And I will do the same with employees and associates throughout my various businesses, where the interests and concerns on this matter are no less vital.

Racial discrimination has no place in our society. That’s been said. But, what’s been done?

We must have the answer today, and we will work with players, staff and more to arrive at a timely response. Because this moment, while agonizingly similar in many ways, is unlike any other in our history for underserved people and communities in the United States. We cannot attack the virus of racism with indifference or periodic attention. We cannot expect an easy cure or give up when the quest becomes inconvenient or uncomfortable.

Most of all, we cannot fail our children – children who deserve to know they have the same opportunity to earn a living, have a family and live safely — no matter the color of their skin.

Khan’s words are powerful for a number of reasons. His own experience sheds light on what so many minorities still face in this nation. Despite achieving many goals, from his education to his business career to now becoming an owner of both the Jaguars and Fulham F.C. in the English Premier League, Khan still faces discrimination. The “racist language in my presence when talking about other people of color.” That illuminates the issues facing minorities who walk a different path, and highlights the difficulties they must face on a daily basis.

But Khan goes beyond highlighting the issue, he brings proposals to try and address the issue. Sure, NFL owners often talk about addressing their communities and trying to bring jobs and investments to their localities – particularly when it comes time for a new stadium funded by taxpayer dollars – but Khan frames this more in terms of what a job can do for a person, and how economic opportunity, which is far too often a bridge too far for minority communities, is a desperate need.

What might cause some to view Khan’s argument with skepticism is his political past. One thing that the Jaguars owner does have in common with his NFL peers is a history of donating to President Donald J. Trump. Khan donated $1 million to President Trump’s Inaugural Committee, and as recently as October he tried to split the baby a bit when it came to supporting the President. Khan, during an appearance at Yahoo’s All Markets Summit, stated that he was a “big fan” of the President’s economic policies.

The social and economic policies, however, saw Khan take a different viewpoint. “I  think it’s very clear on social issues—immigration, religion, what have you—I think we need to have a different viewpoint.” So those hopeful that Khan’s viewpoint will see him take a different approach than the President, whose words from the White House have taken more of a confrontational stance in recent days, have some evidence to support such optimism.

Furthermore, Khan has broken with the President in the past. At the height of the Colin Kaepernick protests back in 2017 the owner took to the sideline to stand with his players, in a show of support for his team. He also vocally opposed the President’s travel ban, which imposed restrictions on majority Muslim countries and their citizens from traveling to the United States.

Perhaps Khan, like so many others, recognizes that this is a likely an inflection point in our country. If so, it is one the owner does not want to waste: