As head coach of the Egyptian national team during the country’s 2011 political revolution, LAFC head coach Bob Bradley brings a global perspective on the protests that have dominated the United States in the last week.
While appearing Monday on The Morning Show, a flagship part of ESPN Los Angeles radio, Bradley addressed the country’s unrest after George Floyd, a black man, was killed when a white police officer in Minnesota pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. The officer has since been charged with murder and manslaughter. In the days since, dozens of cities have become engulfed by protests and outrage over Floyd's death, and the underlying issues of racism and police brutality it has raised.
Bradley, 62, offered his thoughts to hosts Keyshawn Johnson, LZ Granderson and Travis Rodgers .
“If we are going to move forward in any way, racial equality and standing strong for what we want to be about as a country, this is a moment to see if we can really work together and mobilize and reform,” Bradley said. “Up until now, we don’t get enough people together on the same page and it's a tough fight, because as much as there are many people who believe in a just society, unfortunately we have others that are not in favor of that.
“If we don’t mobilize all the people who believe in the same ideas and the same values and equality and economic opportunity and the criminal justice system, then unfortunately we see this type of terrible incident happen again and again and again.”
Bradley also highlighted the role LAFC can play in inspiring change, stating that the third-year club has sought to be representative of their diverse city in Southern California. Specifically, Bradley said he is proud when he looks into the stands at Banc of California Stadium and sees people of all backgrounds.
Now, just like LAFC have supported their community during the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s confident they’ll play a similar role in fighting for social justice.
“We need to be part of the process to make sure that we see reform, to make sure that we provide opportunity, to make sure that we speak loud and strongly against any type of incident of racism, prejudice, hatred that has led to the protests that we see,” Bradley said.
“When people come together, it’s very important to not just talk about what’s happening this weekend, but what led to it, why did we get to this point, why are people so angry? For me, I think LAFC can be a real voice in our community and help in those ways.”
For more from LAFC’s boss, check out the full interview here.
