Florida
NFL Teams Amplify DEI In Florida’s Marginalized Communities Amid Corporate Rollbacks
Sarasota Herald-Tribune News in 60 seconds, Jan. 30
Here are the top three stories in Sarasota-Manatee., Jan. 24-30.
As major corporations across the country scale back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, the NFL is doubling down on its commitment to social justice and economic empowerment in Black communities. Through its Inspire Change initiative, the league is directing millions toward education, criminal justice reform and economic advancement — efforts that are particularly resonant in cities like Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville and New Orleans, where Black communities have long fought for equitable opportunities.
With Super Bowl 59 on the horizon, the question remains: Can the NFL’s sustained push for social equity help offset the retreat and dismantling of corporate DEI programs?
The Big Picture: How the NFL Sustains DEI Efforts While Large Corporations Dismantle
Corporate DEI initiatives are waning across the country, but the NFL’s Inspire Change program remains a cornerstone of its social justice efforts, focusing on education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.
Since the league’s rebranding in 2017, the NFL has amplified its support for racial equality and social justice, a shift sparked by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protest against police brutality during the national anthem. Today, the NFL has the highest number of Black employees among the four major professional sports leagues, with Black players and staff making up 53.5% of its workforce in 2023.
The league’s commitment to equity is reinforced by Inspire Change, which has invested more than $375 million in social justice causes to date. The program supports more than 650 local nonprofits, 1,950 player and Legend grants, and 50+ national grant partners working to dismantle systemic barriers in underserved communities.
Anna Isaacson, the NFL’s senior vice president of social responsibility, underscored the league’s long-term commitment ahead of Super Bowl 59.
“The NFL is proud of the positive impact we’ve made through the Inspire Change initiative. Over the years, we’ve provided critical support to communities through meaningful partnerships, investing over $375 million from the NFL family to create lasting change,” Isaacson said via email.
“Our commitment to social justice continues to drive us as we work alongside players, teams and organizations to address systemic challenges. This is not just about making a difference; it’s about creating an enduring legacy of opportunity, community and empowerment for all.”
One of the program’s key efforts, the Inspire Change Changemaker Award, is now in its third season. Each NFL team selects a local Changemaker, awarding them a $10,000 grant to further their work in social justice. As the league expands its partnerships and grant programs, its sustained efforts stand in stark contrast to the widespread rollback of corporate DEI initiatives.
Empowerment in Motion: A Play-by-Play of Florida NFL Teams’ DEI Efforts
As corporate DEI programs shrink, the Jacksonville Jaguars are expanding their commitment to economic empowerment and social justice through targeted initiatives in the OutEast community there.
During Super Bowl 59 week, Jaguars Vice President of Social Responsibility T-Neisha Tate will join a Players Coalition panel on Building Black Wealth, discussing heirs’ property legislation, a critical issue for Black families fighting to retain generational land.
Locally, the Jaguars have been instrumental in revitalizing the historical community known there as OutEast. Their investments include funding a computer lab at The Corner at Debs Store, a once-shuttered grocery store in a food insecure region that now provides fresh food, career services, and financial education to residents. The team has also contributed $50,000 toward the reconstruction of Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in the country.
Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead, the team’s 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, has expanded his Armstead Academic Project to Jacksonville, focusing on literacy and financial education for underserved youth. His Sound Mind workshop series introduces students to STEAM education and social-emotional learning, reinforcing the Jaguars’ mission of fostering long-term economic impact in Black communities.
Buccaneers Address Affordable Housing Barriers in Tampa Bay
In Tampa, the Buccaneers have strengthened their Inspire Change efforts by partnering with grassroots organizations tackling systemic inequalities.
This year, the Bucs recognized LaKendria Robinson, founder and CEO of The Orenda Collective, as their Inspire Change Changemaker. Her work focuses on helping businesses implement impactful DEI strategies and connecting minority, women, veteran and LGBTQ-owned businesses with vital resources.
Kourtney Sanchez, the Buccaneers’ chief impact officer, emphasized the team’s commitment to lasting community change.
“Our Social Justice Initiative is designed to create real, lasting change in the Tampa Bay community. From providing food security through our D-Line Mobile Food Pantry to addressing housing disparities with Habitat for Humanity, our programs are built to directly support individuals and families who need it most.”
Among the team’s key initiatives:
- The D-Line Mobile Food Pantry operates twice a month, providing two weeks of food for more than 250 families at each event.
- The Buccaneers’ Social Justice Fund, launched with a $1 million commitment from the Glazer family, supports local nonprofit initiatives.
- The team has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to fund new home construction and revitalize homes damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Dolphins Drive Social Justice in Miami-Dade
The Miami Dolphins continue to champion social justice through the Inspire Change initiative. This season, the team honored Jowharah Sanders, founder of National Voices for Equality, Education, and Enlightenment (NVEEE), as their 2024 Inspire Change Changemaker for her work in bullying prevention and youth mentorship.
Recognized during the Dolphins’ Inspire Change game on December 22, Sanders received a $10,000 NFL Foundation grant to further her nonprofit’s impact in Miami-Dade County.
Dolphins Vice President of Community Affairs Kim Miller praised Sanders’ contributions:
“We are proud to recognize Jowharah Sanders as our 2024 Inspire Change Changemaker award recipient. Her work has directly influenced the lives of local youth and their families, and we are grateful for her dedication to advocacy and equity.”
Beyond organizational commitments, Dolphins players have a history of activism.
- Kenny Stills, Jelani Jenkins, Arian Foster, and Michael Thomas were among the first NFL players to protest racial injustice by kneeling during the anthem in 2016.
As Super Bowl 59 approaches, the Dolphins’ long-standing advocacy aligns with the league’s broader Inspire Change efforts, reinforcing the role of athletes as catalysts for social progress.
Looking Ahead to Super Bowl 59 and Beyond
As New Orleans prepares to host Super Bowl 59, the New Orleans Saints are reinforcing their economic empowerment efforts through the Impact 59 Powered by Entergy program. The initiative, launched in December 2024, has already awarded $3.5 million in grants to 65 nonprofit organizations focused on workforce training, education, and economic development.
“Super Bowl 59 is about more than just a game,” said Gayle Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints at the Impact 59 kickoff in December.
“It’s about showing up for our city, supporting our neighbors, and ensuring that we leave a positive, lasting legacy in the community.”
Samantha Gholar is the social justice reporter for USA Today Network-Florida. Connect with her through email at sgholar@gannett.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – University of Florida scientists discovered two different termite species are breeding to create a hybrid termite.
The backstory:
A new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study confirms that hybrid termite colonies have been established in South Florida. Researchers told FOX 13 these hybrid termites are the result of Formosan subterranean termites and Asian subterranean termites coexisting and mating with each other.
“This is kind of a crazy story to look into, that the two most destructive termites in the world are hybridizing here in Florida — which is not great news, I’ll be honest with you,” said Thomas Chouvenc, associate professor of urban entomology at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center and lead author of the study. “It’s going to have evolutionary consequences over the long term.”
Studies to learn more about these hybrid termites – and their potential – are still in the works, he added.
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“It’s not going to be a super termite like some would like to call it, but the reality is, even if it’s a mule, it can still give a good kick, I would argue,” Chouvenc told FOX 13. “So the potential (to cause) damage is probably kind of the same as either the Formosan or the Asian subterranean termite.”
In order to have hybrid termites, both parent termites must live in the same area. This UF/IFAS termite map shows a large presence of both Formosan subterranean termites and Asian subterranean termites in southeast Florida.
What they’re saying:
“We went for genetic analysis, and we confirmed that, yes, these winged termites had half the genes from one species and half the other one. And we have been able to confirm this in 2022, in 2023, 2024, and also this year in April, where we collected these hybrid wing termites,” Chouvenc said. “This tells us that now we have established hybrid colonies in the field in southeast Florida.”
That same UF/IFAS map shows the presence of both termite species in the Bay Area, too.
“We expect that it may just be a matter of time before the hybrid termites between the two is also established in Tampa,” Chouvenc said.
According to the map, Asian subterranean termites have been reported in South Tampa close to MacDill Air Force Base near the water. Chouvenc told FOX 13 he suspects they got there after infecting a boat, because his studies have also shown that water vessels can unknowingly spread these insects.
“It is remarkable how much termites can find a way to survive in these boats as long as there’s sufficient amount of wood and there’s enough moisture,” Chouvenc said. “And if you have a boat, you know there’s going to be moisture on your boat somewhere at some point.”
Both boat, and homeowners are encouraged to always keep an eye out for evidence of termites on their property.
Why you should care:
“The hybridization may not be a problem for us in the short term. It may be kind of a quirky biological story to tell,” Chouvenc told FOX 13. “But the reality is, if we look at the very long term, these populations that have mixed genetic lineages may inherit the good genes from both species.”
“It’s a good time to remind homeowners in Florida that termites are part of our reality,” he added.
The Source: FOX 13 reporter Ariel Plasencia conducted the interview and gathered the information for this story.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Nearly a dozen people, including two children, were hospitalized after a boat explosion and fire in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Memorial Day evening, officials said.
The incident was reported around 5:45 p.m. Monday near the New River Triangle, not far from the Lauderdale Yacht Club on Southeast 12th Court.
U.S. Coast Guard officials said there were 13 people on board the boat when there was an explosion.
“For reasons that we don’t know yet, a boat exploded, it tossed people into the water, good Samaritans came over right away and started rescuing them,” Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesman Frank Guzman said. “It’s too soon to know how this happened. We have a fire investigator on scene, as well.”
Footage from a surveillance camera captured the moment the fireball erupted on the boat, and showed multiple people spilling into the water.
Guzman confirmed there were 11 patients, including two children, who were initially taken to Broward Health Medical Center.
“A number of the patients had significant burns and are being transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where they have a burn unit,” Guzman said. “A lot of them had burns to much of their body.”
Officials at Jackson Memorial said they received 10 patients, including eight adults who were in good condition and two children who were in fair condition. One patient had to be intubated.
Antonio Rivero said he was with family members on the boat when it went up in flames.
“Tried to fuel up the boat, and must have been a gas leak and, you know, spark went off and explosion,” Rivero said. “One of the guys’ pants were blown off, so it was bad.”
Rivero, 32, suffered burns to his arm, but his wife, Cassandra, and their two children remained hospitalized Monday night.
“They’re OK because they’re on a lot of meds, but other than that they’re fine,” he said.
At least one witness reported seeing an explosion and said they saw multiple people with burn injuries who were brought to the yacht club docks.
The victims had burned legs and bathing suits that appeared ripped and burned to shreds, the witness said.
Two other witnesses said they were on a dinghy at the sandbar when the boat exploded.
“When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded. There was a huge fireball and people were kind of falling off the boat,” Bret Triano said. “We were at the sandbar too and we just tried to go help out.”
Triano and Marisa Toomesn were able to rescue some of the victims.
“There were a couple boats trying to pick people up and one guy just didn’t get picked up so we went over to him,” Triano said. “He was screaming.”
“He was burned pretty badly,” Toomesn said.
“He was saying, ‘Save me. Please, don’t let me die. I’m so hot, I need water,’” Triano said. “He just kept repeating, ‘I want water, I want water.’”
Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed Fort Lauderdale Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Broward Sheriff’s Office assisting Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.
Crews were seen examining the boat involved, which was tied up to a nearby sea wall.
Guzman said crews also rescued a dog that had been on the boat that wasn’t injured.
The FWC and fire officials will investigate the cause of the explosion.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Neighbors say an uninvited guest is causing chaos on their street in Cape Coral.
A Muscovy duck has not been a friendly visitor, with neighbors saying it has chased and bitten people, even sending one person to the hospital.
“I had my eyes closed, (and) all of a sudden I felt a jab on my hand and it was bleeding,” neighbor James Sepulveda said.
Wildlife officials say the duck is protected by federal law and can be removed, but only by humane methods.
Neighbors say they are trying to keep their distance from the unfriendly duck.
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