The Colin Kaepernick Protest
Mackenzie Knight
Mackenzie Knight
Some say they are confused by Colin Kaepernicks’ message on kneeling during the national anthem. Some utterly disagree. For those confused, this is the reasoning for Kaepernick kneeling 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.
This San Francisco 49er’s response was, “It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens.”
Ultimately, the citizens the 49ers are referring to are not Black Americans who experience racism and injustice on a daily basis. Lisa Bell, an 11th grader spoke on this topic, her response being, “They’re offended because their um we fought for our right as a country and stuff.”
When asked to elaborate, she includes, “White people are offended because they think it’s all about them and they forget there are other people in the world.”
When asking the three interviewees: Lisa Bell, Brianna Johnson, and Jailen Houston if they agree with Colin Kaepernicks’ protest, they all emphatically said yes. Their reasoning is all in common, “I believe if you’re in America you should have freedom of speech and to do what you want.”
According to the 49ers football team, standing for the American flag is an opportunity to reflect on the great liberties that the citizens rightly afford.. It is evident they are not aware of the deeper meaning of Colin’s protest, so when asking Lisa Bell her opinions on whether or not racism is still alive, she adamantly states, “Yes. Your beliefs at home and how your parents raise you [is the reason racism is still alive.]
Johnson’s answer resembled Jailen Houston’s idea on how to diminish racism, he replies, “We could have people stop, stop talking behind doors and [tell] their children not to talk the way they do about certain people you know don’t discriminate because of their looks and past.”
People still seem to show confusion throughout this whole protest from Colin Kaepernick, so two of the interviewees were asked about their interpretation of his message through kneeling. Bell responds, “I think it was a good thing for him to do for Black people and people of color because it gave us representation.”
Houston replies, “Um, to show what he believed. He was trying [to] stand up for his beliefs.”
The only way to aid ending racism, injustice, and oppression is to address it. This controversial topic, so the question came about, regarding Colin bringing his protest into the NFL. Brianna Johnson demonstrates, “Yes because he’s like, football is one of the biggest sports in the world and he has to tell his rights to the whole entire world.”
Lisa Bell adds on, “I think he protested in the NFL because it was like I think he chose the NFL because it’s like a major like a big corporation and people seeing that would make more of an impact than a small like little high school game.”
This San Francisco 49er’s response was, “It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens.”
Ultimately, the citizens the 49ers are referring to are not Black Americans who experience racism and injustice on a daily basis. Lisa Bell, an 11th grader spoke on this topic, her response being, “They’re offended because their um we fought for our right as a country and stuff.”
When asked to elaborate, she includes, “White people are offended because they think it’s all about them and they forget there are other people in the world.”
When asking the three interviewees: Lisa Bell, Brianna Johnson, and Jailen Houston if they agree with Colin Kaepernicks’ protest, they all emphatically said yes. Their reasoning is all in common, “I believe if you’re in America you should have freedom of speech and to do what you want.”
According to the 49ers football team, standing for the American flag is an opportunity to reflect on the great liberties that the citizens rightly afford.. It is evident they are not aware of the deeper meaning of Colin’s protest, so when asking Lisa Bell her opinions on whether or not racism is still alive, she adamantly states, “Yes. Your beliefs at home and how your parents raise you [is the reason racism is still alive.]
Johnson’s answer resembled Jailen Houston’s idea on how to diminish racism, he replies, “We could have people stop, stop talking behind doors and [tell] their children not to talk the way they do about certain people you know don’t discriminate because of their looks and past.”
People still seem to show confusion throughout this whole protest from Colin Kaepernick, so two of the interviewees were asked about their interpretation of his message through kneeling. Bell responds, “I think it was a good thing for him to do for Black people and people of color because it gave us representation.”
Houston replies, “Um, to show what he believed. He was trying [to] stand up for his beliefs.”
The only way to aid ending racism, injustice, and oppression is to address it. This controversial topic, so the question came about, regarding Colin bringing his protest into the NFL. Brianna Johnson demonstrates, “Yes because he’s like, football is one of the biggest sports in the world and he has to tell his rights to the whole entire world.”
Lisa Bell adds on, “I think he protested in the NFL because it was like I think he chose the NFL because it’s like a major like a big corporation and people seeing that would make more of an impact than a small like little high school game.”
