Amid ‘critical time,’ Midshipmen create council for racial equality
In the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others, Navy football convened a series of virtual team meetings to discuss systemic racism and social justice.
Head coach Ken Niumatalolo termed those sessions “powerful, productive and impactful.” In fact, the 12th-year head coach was so moved by what he heard from players of all races and ethnicities that he felt compelled to continue the conversation.
In June, Niumatalolo quietly created the Navy Football Players Council for Racial Equality. Veteran assistant Robert “RB” Green was appointed Director of Racial Equality to help shepherd the newly formed panel.
“I just wanted to keep the momentum going,” said Niumatalolo, who was recently named to the American Athletic Conference Racial Equality Action Group.
“This is a critical time in our country, and I believe our football program can be at the forefront of enacting change.”
Green, a four-year letterman and threeyear starter at cornerback for Navy from 1994-97 and now in his sixth season as a defensive assistant, said Niumatalolo wants to do more than just put messages on social media.
“He has charged this council with accomplishing something positive,” Green said. “I’m extremely honored that Coach Niumat selected me for this role. I wanted to help move the social issue forward. I’m super excited about the opportunity to give back.”
Nine players were voted by their teammates to serve on the council, with three from each returning class. Its membership reflects the diversity of the Navy football team, as senior class representatives Myles Fells (Black), Jackson Perkins (white) and Ian Blake (biracial) reflect.
Diego Fagot (white), Chance Warren (Black), Ben Fee (biracial) comprise the junior class reps, while Tama Tuitele (Polynesian), Perry Olsen (white) and Jacobi Rice (Black) are the sophomore members.
Green convenes two virtual meetings per week utilizing either the Zoom or Google platforms and is impressed by what has already been accomplished.
“We asked the players to develop a platform and that has already happened,” Green said. “Every one of these players is equally as passionate about the cause. They have come together for a shared purpose and are making significant progress.”
Green was raised in the west end of Atlanta, which consisted almost exclusively of Black residents during the 1970s and ’80s.
He attended Booker T. Washington High School, whose most famous graduate is none other than Martin Luther King Jr.
Located nearby to where Green grew up is Ebenezer Baptist Church, which at one time featured Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr. as co-pastors.
While Green attended Booker T. Washington High, there was only one white teacher and no white students. All the neighborhood businesses were owned by Black families and those folks, along with Black professionals such as school principals, doctors and lawyers, served as Green’s role models.
Commissioned as a Marine Corps officer, Green enjoyed a highly decorated career that included multiple deployments to the Middle East. He retired in 2017 as a lieutenant colonel after receiving numerous meritorious medals.