Friday, October 20, 2017

Why Kneeling Is So Important For Our Future

It's easy to get distracted by the back and forth rhetoric of any issue. In regards to the NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem, opinions have taken flight from both sides.  Tomi Lahren, a conservative and often controversial TV commentator on Fox & Friends was quoted saying:
"I would like to ask these players 'What exactly are you kneeling for and why have you chosen the flag and the anthem to do it?" [click to read more]
To put it in context, she continued on to criticize the players, theorizing that they had no clear goal and asked, "What would it take to get you to stand and respect the anthem?". This is a question, although partially jaded, that deserves contemplation. Let's unpack this some. 

What Exactly Are You Kneeling For?

During the 49ers 2016 NFL preseason, Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the National Anthem at the beginning of the game.When he was asked his reasoning he replied:
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color" He continued, stating: "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 continued his refusal to stand during the Anthem through the remainder of the season which concluded at Superbowl 50. According to Business Insider, Colin knew that the 49ers were going to release him and decided to opt out of his contract in March 2017.
"If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right." - Kaepernick
The domino effect that followed has become immense including an NFL boycott causing a significant decline in viewers and a recent collusion lawsuit filed by Kaepernick. Several players, teams and some coaches have shown public signs of support, but to what end?...


What's The Point?!?

To completely understand any issue, we must understand its history and its purpose. Colin Kaepernick was not the first to choose a silent protest as a means for social change and will not be the last. Through human history, many groups have chosen this method of protest. Some have been more successful than others, but we'll discuss that more later. Statistics show that African-Americans are far more likely to become victims of police brutality than any other race. We've known this to be true in traffic stops, arrests and incarcerations for decades, but in deaths, without a trial, conviction and too often, no weapon found on the deceased takes it to a new level. To make matters worse, there's been an alarming rate of the badged shooters being given little to no punishment for the incidents. 


In 2016 there was a series of events filmed by bystanders of African-Americans dying at the hands of the police. Paid leave was given to most officers. Very few ever saw any repercussions while the video footage that circulated televisions and social media timelines enraged a nation. The streets of cities around the nation were flooded with people of all races trying to be heard, who wanted justice, who wanted change. While many of the riot organizers aimed to conduct peaceful protests, their causes were tainted by the destructive actions of a few. Headlines across every news media focused on the number of arrests and the cost of destroyed property instead of the millions of concerned American Citizens who were mourning another untimely loss. The remnants of any sign of protests were washed away as fast as the chalk outlines of too many African-Americans.

What Do You Want?

This is where things get tricky. Referring back to Tomi Lahren's initial questions, what would it take to get us to stand for the National Anthem. Just as some are making personal choices to kneel, what it takes to get each individual to stand will be a personal choice as well, unless a more organized movement begins to take shape. People are kneeling because they don't feel supported by this country; Because they don't feel that their concerns are being acknowledged by this country; and although citizens of this country, many don't feel safe within its borders from those placed in power to protect it. Simply put, we want to live, eat, breathe, shop, drive, walk, wear our clothing of choice without the fear that when we pull out our wallets to hand you the ID, as requested, that it won't be mistaken for a gun. 

Why The National Anthem?

At the apex of The Star Spangled banner where singers hit and hold the highest notes of the song and crowds cheer emphatically, the lyrics read, "O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave". We're asked to proudly stand in support of freedoms that we don't feel that we've received equally.  We're supposed to cheer for bravery while witnessing cowardly acts of violence. 
"When there's significant change and I feel that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to, I'll stand." -Kaepernick [click to read more]
Kaepernick's intent wasn't to show any disrespect to the military, on the contrary. He's gone on record stating that he changed his initial action of sitting through the National Anthem to kneeling after consulting former military and NFL player Nate Boyer about the method of his protest. 
"We were talking to [Boyer] about how can we get the message back on track and not take away from the military, not take away from fighting for our country, but keep the focus on what the issues really are,” Kaepernick said

How To Make It Effective

Peaceful protests that have been the most successful over time share some commonalities that need to be explored. The qualities that they each have includes:

  • Organization
  • A definable goal
  • A powerful leader
  • Has the ability to negatively affect those in a position to change it
Some examples include:
  • Ghandi's Salt March (1930) where India had a clear goal to establish independence from Britain. Their method was to refuse to pay taxes to the British on salt. While the results for India were not immediate, it sparked the beginning of a revolution that led them to acquire their independence.
  • The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56) where African-Americans sought to decrease segregation in the south. They did so by refusing to use public transportation. It resulted in a court ruled change in state law removing segregation laws. 
Several other examples resemble this model, but to evaluate, both of the listed movements had all of the qualities of a successful silent protest. They were organized, had definable goals, great leadership and the ability to affect the pockets of people who could make things happen. 

Questions about the protests against police brutality still remain. The outcome is still unknown, but the spark has been lit and in the right circumstances and with the right support, it can and will change the statistics and keep countless young African-Americans alive. Ghandi was imprisoned for his work. Thousands of people walked for miles in support of the bus boycott. To Colin Kaepernick, kneeling was worth losing millions. What we each have to ask ourselves is what are we willing to sacrifice to achieve our definition of equality. 

Author: Kyrah A. Ayers

@MenOfSubstance Instagram

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