On August 26, 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, was spotted sitting down as opposed to standing up during the national anthem before the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
During an interview with Steve Wyche, Colin Kaepernick explained it as a protest supporting the Black Lives Matter movement stating “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
While the 49ers disagreed with Kaepernick’s protest, they respect his decision stating “ The National Anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”
On September 1, 2016 Kaepernick kneeled down on one knee as opposed to sitting down during the final preseason game. He then explained his switching positions was an attempt to show respect towards veterans who served in the military while still protesting the injustice in America. Kaepernick’s protest sparked an outrage amongst a lot of NFL fans. Even some 49ers fans took to Instagram to post a video of them burning Kaepernick’s jersey, some while to the national anthem.
There are even some professional athletes who shamed Kaepernick’s desicion. Shaquille O’ Neal stated “I don’t really have a say on it but I would never do that. My father was a military man and he protected this country- uncles are in law enforcement, they go out and work hard. Just, you know, there are other ways to get your point across.” O’Neal wasn’t the only one who felt as though Kaepernick’s actions were disrespectful. Boomer Esiason called Kaepernick’s protest “an embarrassment” while stating “The NFL is not a place for someone to further their political ambitions.” Although there were many people who were outraged, there were also just as many people who applauded Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the anthem. Celebrities such as Stephen Curry, T.I, Spike Lee, Tina Knowles Lawson, Chris Brown and many more supported Kaepernicks silent protest. Two popular hashtags were trending on Twitter to honor Kaepernick called #kapsoblack and also a hashtag called #VeteransForKaepernick for the veterans who believe that patriotism should not be used as an excuse to silence someone’s first amendment right. J.Cole and Trey Songz also showed support for Kaepernick by wearing Kaepernick’s #7 jersey at a Labor Day weekend performance but the biggest stamp of approval came from president Barack Obama when he acknowledged the fact that Kaepernick was exercising his constitutional right to make a statement.
Brandon Marshall, Denver Bronco’s linebacker, was spotted kneeling during the national anthem before a game against the Carolina Panthers on September 8. Marshall and Kaepernick were college teammates at the University of Nevada and Marshall stated he wanted to show support for the protest.
Although many see the silent protest as commendable it was not the case for companies that were endorsing Marshall. Marshall lost two endorsements with the Air Academy Federal Credit Union and CentruryLink for taking a knee during the national anthem. One of the companies stated that while they respect Brandon Marshall’s decision to protest they also believe “they must show our allegiance to our common bond as a nation.” However, Black Lives Matters supporters Russell Simmons, offered Marshall an endorsement deal with Rush Card. Brandon Marshall was unphased by the loss of the other two endorsement deals saying he understand there will be criticism and that he will continue to kneel during the protest.
Categories:
The sitdown movement
September 20, 2016
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