(NewsNation) — The Super Bowl 59 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will not have an “End Racism” message stenciled in the back of an end zone.
Instead, the end zones will include the phrases “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” for the game at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to USA Today Sports.
This marks the first time since 2021 the “End Racism” message has not been seen on a Super Bowl end zone. It was first used in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer.
An internal message said these messages were meant to demonstrate “how football and the NFL brings people together to work as one and use our example and our actions to help conquer racism,” according to The Athletic.
However, McCarthy said to The Athletic that they are switching the slogan because of recent tragedies such as the southern California wildfires, the attack in New Orleans where the suspect intentionally drove a car into a crowd, the plane and helicopter crash in Washington, D.C., and the plane crash in Philadelphia.
“We felt it was an appropriate statement for what the country has collectively endured, given recent tragedies, and can serve as an inspiration,” McCarthy said, adding that “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” were also in the end zones for the AFC Championship Game. At the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia, “End Racism” was used as an end zone slogan.
This comes days after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has no plans to end diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better,” Goodell told reporters Monday, NewsNation partner The Hill wrote. “We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get into it or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League both on and off the field.”
Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in a variety of institutions have been targeted by President Donald Trump. Earlier this year he slashed all diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government. Federal agencies began removing DEI guidance from their websites, and even some companies like Target have ended diversity programs.
Trump is expected to attend the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.