#TBT
In late August of 2016, Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers began sitting during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice in the United States. After a conversation with Nate Boyer, a U.S. Army vet, Kaepernick began taking a knee during the National Anthem rather than sitting, to show respect for the people serving in the U.S. military. Media took notice of this and immediate controversy ensued.
PC: Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/site…)
#Follow4Follow
Throughout the 2016 NFL season, Kaepernick was joined in his peaceful protests by other NFL players from around the country. Some also followed suit in raising a fist rather than kneeling.
PC: TPM (http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/trump-alabama-rally-luther-strange-north…)
#FBF
On Friday, September 22, 2017 President Trump expressed his desires for NFL owners to fire players who were using the National Anthem as a vehicle for peaceful protest, exclaiming “get that son of a b***h of the field, he’s fired…” This came up during his speech at a rally for Republican senator candidate Luther Strange in Alabama.
PC: Yahoo (https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-take-knee-team-national-anthem-00565536…)
#NoFilter
The following weekend, NFL teams across the country linked arms and a took a knee in solidarity with those players who choose to protest injustice during the National Anthem. Many public figures including team owners, players, and coaches, took to Twitter to show their support as well. Social Media was yet again in frenzy. Some people felt servicemen and women were not being respected, some felt the American flag was not being respected, and some argued the National Anthem was not the right time to protest. Through the chaos that was your Twitter feed last Sunday the message may have gotten muddled. It is important to remember in the age of social media protest to keep the actual issue at the forefront and for #TakeAKnee it means bringing awareness to the racial injustice that plagues the United States.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/22/politics/donald-trump-alabama-nfl/index.html
Cover Photo courtesy of: Mercury News (http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/17/colin-kaepernick-update-some-teams…)