The National Anthem – a moment of country pride and unity traditionally observed before every sporting event in the United States – now presents each American a two-minute choice to make their own statement, thanks to one man, Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers.
In his personal effort to promote change and expand the national discussion regarding police brutality against African Americans from Ferguson, Missouri to Charlotte, North Carolina, Kaepernick kneels during the National Anthem.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said, according to NFL.com. “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.”
Kaepernick, the first member of the National Football League to participate in this form of protest, first gained attention for his actions on August 26th during the 49ers third preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. Since then, many other prominent NFL stars including Jeremy Lane of the Seattle Seahawks, Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos, Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots, and Arian Foster of the Miami Dolphins joined Kaepernick’s protest.
Some choose to raise a fist in the air and others kneel during the National Anthem at their respective stadiums. Foster defended his actions, saying on his personal Twitter account, “I love this country. Don’t let the love for a symbol overrule the love for your fellow human[s].”
While the NFL players’ focus remains on oppression, the national conversation on the topic now focuses on the debate between patriotism and freedom of speech. Opponents of the NFL players’ protests feel as though these types of actions disrespect the very freedom of speech many United States military members fought and died for, and lack appreciation and respect for that national sacrifice.
In a tweet from his personal Twitter account that has since been deleted, Dolphins’ wide receiver Rishard Matthews said, “Come on bro. [T]his is the land of the [f]ree BECAUSE of the [b]rave. That’s what our [f]lag represents.” Taking an even more serious stance in opposition to Kaepernick’ actions, two-time World Series champion infielder for the San Francisco Giants, Aubrey Huff tweeted, “This guy [Kaepernick] is a joke. Get lost. You don’t like it in a country that has given you opportunity to succeed? Then get out.”
Others offer a different view – respect the Constitutional right of freedom of speech even if the speech offends an individual’s patriotic beliefs. When asked by the Associated Press on the matter, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “I don’t necessarily agree with what he is doing… I support our players when they want to see change in society.”
Anquan Bolden, a former teammate of Kaepernick and wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, while not sharing his own opinions on the matter said, via the Detroit Free Press, “Even if you don’t agree with what someone does, you still have to respect their opinion and how they feel about something. You can disagree with it, but you still have to respect it. That’s the right that we have as Americans, and that’s the great part about being an American.”
The divide present in the national conversation between patriotism and freedom of speech triggered by the National Anthem protests extends to the political realm as well. Former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz voiced his disappointment with the protests. On his Twitter account he said, “To all the athletes who have made millions in America’s freedom: stop insulting our flag, our nation, our heroes.”
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton voiced her praise of Kaepernick stating, “he makes great points, and if sitting during the national anthem is his way of registering his protest, then we must respect that.” President Obama, however, centered his public comments back on the intent of Kaepernick’s actions stating, “if nothing else, what he’s done is he’s generated more conversation around some topics that need to be talked about.”
This well-documented national conversation spreads locally in Boston University’s Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, the pulse of the campus’ efforts to breaking barriers of divisiveness.
During the forum discussion this week, several faculty facilitators and students joined together to discuss the actions of Colin Kaepernick and his fellow NFL players. While attending this event, Boston University sophomore Casey Piacentini stated her beliefs that, “as an American he has the right to protest, which has essentially been a key part of American ideals since the conception of the Constitution,” and, “to be upset by somebody exercising a constitutional right may be even more “un-American” than kneeling during the national anthem.”
Another BU student attendee at the Kaepernick conversation, Kyler Sumter, echoes Piacentini’s thoughts. “I stand with Kaepernick, or rather sit with Kaepernick, because the biggest problem here is that some people aren’t even willing to sit down and have this conversation,” says Sumter.
Shiney James, Director of Orientation at Boston University and large proponent of the Howard Thurman Center, demonstrates the personal conflict and evolution of thought many people express when discussing Colin Kaepernick and his chosen form of protest. Before totally understanding the situation, James considered the act of taking a knee during the National Anthem to be disrespectful to the history of the United States.
After doing some research on the topic, James affirmed she discovered “the inherent racism past the first stanza,” and the reasons why Kaepernick felt compelled to act. James now believes these players have a just cause, and perhaps more importantly, the right to protest afforded them in the Constitution. In “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” James considers being brave enough to exercise freedom of speech can be sometimes difficult.
In reality, James’ sentiment rings true. Freedom of speech can be costly. Some NFL players, including Brandon Marshall, linebacker for the Denver Broncos, lost endorsements after participating in the National Anthem protests.
As first reported by the Denver Post, major telecommunications company CenturyLink cut ties with Marshall, stating, “While we acknowledge Brandon’s right, we also believe that whatever issues we face, we also occasionally must stand together to show our allegiance to our common bond as a nation. In our view, the National Anthem is one of those moments. For this reason, while we wish Brandon the best this season, we are politely terminating our agreement with him.”
In the big picture, though, any personal cost to these NFL players pales in comparison to the value these players believe this new national conversation generates regarding the injustices suffered by African Americans in the United States today.
By virtue of the actions of Colin Kaepernick and his fellow professional football players, the long-standing tradition of standing during the National Anthem before every American sporting event may never be the same – but as Kaepernick himself pointed out to USA Today, “I don’t want to kneel forever. I want these things to change. I do know it will be a process, and it is not something that will change overnight. But I think there are some major changes that we can make that are very reasonable.”