The recent controversy over the lawsuit filed by the ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has raised many questions over the past week. Flores, who is Black, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, claiming, among other things, that the league’s hiring practices for head coaches of color are “racist.”  

The Brian Flores lawsuit brings into question many issues that resonate with ordinary black workers all across the country. While most people are not in the position of Flores, that doesn’t mean that others don’t share the issues he is now bringing.

In today’s world of workforce diversity, companies have indicated their intent on interviewing and hiring more people of color for prominent positions within their organizations. The problem is that many qualified black people are interviewing for jobs but are not getting hired. Is it enough to be interviewed? And are these interviews legitimate or just a way to check off a box within the organization?  

The Brian Flores case will bring to light further the issues surrounding “sham interviews.” How often does this occur every day in the NFL and organizations across the country? The NFL is all male. So when 90%  of the head coaches and general managers are white men, it is pretty easy to see a problem. But in Corporate America, it is much easier for organizations to hide behind the promotion of white women as a cover for their diversity goals. As such, special attention needs to be made to the specific advancement of black men and women. Right now, it isn’t.

Sham interviews are not a new phenomenon. However, more attention will now be given to how many qualified black applicants are actually getting hired. It will no longer be enough to have black candidates get callbacks for interviews. There will be a push for more black faces to be seen at the tables of power. Until that happens, true diversity will not be realized. It is just being used as a marketing and PR stunt.