“We’re so tired of these uppity Negroes.”
That’s the collective voice of the now termed “alt-right” when news spread that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a stand by sitting … sitting during the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner” before the Niners preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. Kaepernick sat and the alt-right had a hissy fit. Truth be told, it wasn’t just the far right that was outraged. Some white folks (and even Black folks) who consider themselves moderate expressed dismay distain. I’m not one of them.
This isn’t the first time an athlete has protested the “implied consent decree” that all Americans must stand, hand on heart, facing the Stars and Stripes, humming along with a tear rolling down one cheek. In 1996 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was the recipient of death threats … yeah, people threatened to kill the man … after he refused to stand for the national anthem. That didn’t go over too well for the star point guard. It’s not going over too well for Kaepernick either.
Funny thing is, not many people paid attention to Kaepernick’s silent protest as it was happening. In fact during his immediate postgame interview not one question was asked about Kaepernick’s decision to sit. Most of the sitting questions were about Coach Chip Kelly’s decision to sit Kaepernick in favor of Blane Gabbert. The reporters at the game certainly didn’t notice. And there’s probably a pretty good reason they didn’t notice; because chances are, they too weren’t paying much attention to the “Star Spangled Banner.”
It should be noted that during that interview session Kaepernick showed up sporting a hat with a large X on it and a t-shirt with images of Malcolm X and the caption, “Like minds think alike” – a bit of a tell as to the quarterback’s views on social justice issues.
But back to the decision not to stand for the national anthem … and the so-called outrage.
This whole national anthem “outrage” recently reemerged not with Kaepernick, but with Gabrielle Douglas during the medal ceremony following the U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s win at the Summer Olympics. Douglas had the “audacity” to not place her hand over her heart during the sacred song. Twitter fingers couldn’t type fast enough. And now with Kaepernick, the alt-right … and let’s call it for what it is, the racist right … is again feigning outrage. But funny thing is, I’ve been to hundreds of sporting events … hundreds. And when the “Star Spangled Banner” is playing I could have documented hundreds upon hundreds of instances where white fans are doing almost any and everything during the song. Concession stand workers are still fielding orders from hungry fans, buddies are high fiving one another in anticipation of what they hope is a victory for their side. Hats are on, arms are folded; half the crowd is on the phone texting, taking selfies or posting on social media. So where’s the outrage there?
As a Black man (regardless of what that idiot Rodney Harrison thinks), Kaepernick knows that the “Star Spangled Banner” was not written for us. In fact, as exposed in many places including in a July commentary on The Root, author Francis Scott Key penned multiple verses to the song (though only the first verse is sung during events) and in the third verse, Key makes it crystal clear how he feels about Blacks … former slaves … fighting to gain their freedom; their independency … their humanity. His words are as follows.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
As a Black man … descendent of slaves … not exactly something that makes me want to stand either.
And back to the real and most important issue; why Colin Kaepernick is refusing to stand during the national anthem. By not standing, he’s in fact standing tallest. He’s not standing because of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. He’s not standing because of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. He’s not standing because of 18-year-old Michael Brown. He’s not standing because of Oscar Grant. He’s not standing because of Eric Garner. He’s not standing because of John Crawford, III. He’s not standing because of Freddie Gray. He’s not standing because of Sandra Bland. He’s not standing because of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. He’s not standing because of Jamar Clark. He’s not standing because of Alton Sterling. He’s not standing because of Philando Castile.
He’s not standing because of the continued killing of Black people … many just kids … at the hands of law enforcement and wanna-be law enforcement. He’s not standing for it any more. Neither am I.
