https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ5tglkg8qg/?hl=en&taken-by=kaepernick7
https://www.instagram.com/p/yimsb_NBMp/?hl=en&taken-by=kaepernick7
https://www.instagram.com/p/xLNz9xtBEg/?hl=en&taken-by=kaepernick7
https://www.instagram.com/p/vgvLyktBHR/?hl=en&taken-by=kaepernick7
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTy9pNDFIRO/?hl=en&taken-by=kaepernick7
If you haven’t heard about Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protest by now, you’ve probably been living in outer space, or at least not in the US. What started as a silent demonstration to protest police brutality and racial inequality is now a controversial and heated topic of debate. Kaepernick, who first started taking a knee last season, is now jobless, unemployed by the NFL, and having a hard time finding a team to sign him for the current season.
How is it possible that only one player remains jobless while others have joined in on the movement? The easiest answer is that Kaepernick was the first and most vocal when it came to the protest, and is therefore taking most of the heat from those who disagree with his method.
Even though Kaepernick is out this season, he is not taking this lightly. Recently, he decided to file a grievance against the NFL owners for collusion.
While it seems that Kaepernick’s battles are just beginning, athletes around the country are continuing to join in on his protest and are taking knees in solitude.
Howard University cheerleaders #TakeAKnee before a football game recently. I support them. pic.twitter.com/sUwHmkIkoo
— Donald Brady Jr (@versaillesboy) October 13, 2017
The cheerleading team at Howard University has been taking a knee during the “Star-Spangled Banner” since last September. The ladies have been kneeling during the football games when the anthem plays and standing with their fists raised during “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (also known as the Negro National Anthem).
Sydney Stallworth, one of the co-captains of the cheerleading team, told the New York Times what inspires her to continue the protest.
“I think about liberty and justice for all, and how it’s not being executed in our country right now,” Stallworth said. “And I think about how lucky I am to go to the greatest historically black university in the country—not arguably; it’s the greatest—and so lucky to have this platform.”
A large group of Michigan players stand arm-in-arm during the national anthem before their game against Michigan State. pic.twitter.com/O4oTt3rNmg
— Mike Mulholland (@mulho2mj) October 7, 2017
According to The Michigan Daily, at Michigan State University on October 8, a group of about 20 University of Michigan football players stood arm-in-arm to protest structural racism and societal inequality.
At Pennsylvania’s Albright College, a football player lost his spot on the team due to his own protest.
Gyree Durante told NBC10, “I was just taught you fight for what you believe in and you don’t bow to anyone… I believe heavily in this. So I decided to fight for it.”
Durante went against a team decision to stand for the anthem and some of his teammates said that he broke team unity.
While some believe that Kaepernick is justified in his actions and want to join in with his protests, others believe that protesting the flag is disgraceful and shouldn’t be done. While it is uncertain where the future may take us, one thing is for sure: people everywhere are talking now.
