Black NFL players “doth protest too much?”

Black NFL players “doth protest too much?”

“…..that our flag was still there.
O say does that star spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave….”

Despite the notion that the players who kneel during the playing of the National Anthem are disrespecting this nation’s flag and all those who fought for the freedoms that it represent, inherent in the lyrics of this anthem is that the flag and the ideals it represent has the ability to stand the test of protest. “That our flag was still there,” denotes that after the toils of battle it yet stands, thus the principles and ideals it stood for remained.   

Now we have this group who are in an uproar because, initially, one Black male, Colin Kaepernick, kneeled during the playing of the National Anthem. Now it has birthed a moment where others have joined him in solidarity, in other sports, and at different levels of competition. Those in an uproar are complaining that it is unpatriotic, it is disrespectful, or a public forum like sport should not be used to make a political statement. First, sport and sporting events are ideological outposts. Therefore, we cannot assume that they are sanitized and apolitical activities and spaces. Furthermore, regarding the idea of political compartmentalization, the subjects of oppression, whether we were survivals of the Atlantic Slave Kidnapping, the Holocaust, racial genocide, Jim Crow segregation, lynch mobs, KKK terrorism, etc., we can not compartmentalize our political expression or activity. Our very existence is political and politicized, and when we show up after surviving these human atrocities, we make a political statement. Whether we kneel or stand as Black people or subjects of oppression we are making a political statement. We are putting America on trial. We are demanding that she own up to her ideals, make good on her promises, and truly represent what it means to be “the land of the free.” Inclusive of this ideal is religious freedom, freedom to peacefully protest, and/or freedom from inequalities rooted in race, gender, physical disabilities, or class.

Furthermore, it is interesting that the words of this song (the song itself is problematic, but more about that later) suggest that the very flag itself stands “guard” to protect the freedoms of its people (“Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the “FREE” and the home of the brave”). Who is really FREE then? Well, certainly the author of the song did not have Blacks in mind when this song was penned—as evidence by the verse that wishes death upon the free black who takes up arms—and quite frankly, the freedom of Blacks is still in question when any kind of peaceful protest elicits this much visceral venom and anger. Moreover, the US government, in the current administration, has not only shifted its focus and resources away from white supremacists, but now decided to focus on “Black Identity Extremists,” a remix of COINTELPRO of the 1950s. Athletes do not shed their experiences of oppression at the 50 yard line. If their “fans” truly support them, they would take a knee too. No, what these (white) fans support is the commodification of the Black body. And this is further evidenced by America then stripping these Black bodies of their CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to protest (even the resident of the White House has stooped to calling them out of their names). This divisive rhetoric has been a continual practice from an office we look to in providing national and international unity. And the Constitution doesn't stipulate that citizens can protest when it is comfortable or expedient for others. That wouldn't exactly be protest, now would it? It makes sense logically (and morally) to protest where one has the largest platform. Actors and entertainers do it. Michael Jackson did it with “We are the World.” It seems that protest is okay as long as white people don’t have to be reminded that their tacit and overt acceptance of the benefits of skin privilege and the oppression of those in Black skin is the very REASON for the protest. And isn’t it interesting that a large mass of white folks who have never walked a mile in the shoes of a Black (or Brown) person, who have never experienced America's commodification of Black bodies (beginning in slavery and continuing through today, most prominently evidenced in sport) speak so passionately about HOW and WHEN we can protest a society that from its inception (or, more appropriately, colonization) has been set up to oppress people of color (beginning with Indigenous Natives and the holocaust inflicted upon them, through the African holocaust, segregation, Jim Crow, white supremacy post reconstruction, shootings of unarmed Black men, overrepresentation of Black and Brown children in exclusionary discipline in schools and in special education, and the overrepresentation of white children in gifted classes, and on, and on) and privilege those with white skin. And those very privileged people then want to tell those who are oppressed, don't protest--that right is NOT yours. Maybe we are still only 3/5 of a person?

So, what is more patriotic than reminding Americans that there is progress to be made in becoming a great nation; a nation big enough to incorporate and nurture diversity in all forms without fear? Patriotism is taking part in our legal rights to peacefully protests behaviors, like police brutality, that have disproportionately harmed the lives of Black men and women in this country. It is unpatriotic to allow these acts and others to go unchecked until they weave themselves into becoming our new normal where we simply expect Black men and women to die at the hands of police officers or that we expect criminal activity to be the norm in Black communities.

Well, back to our original point: if this nation’s ideals, which the flag symbolizes, can not stand up to protest, then we should not vilify and demonize the protesters, but reevaluate whether the values this nation purports are capable of being achieved by ALL its citizens. Currently, the hypocrisy of Land of the Free, Home of the Brave lives on (incidentally, we’ll NEVER agree with this song or the homage we pay to it - it was written by a racist who wished death upon freed Blacks - how patriotic is that?).

Billy Hawkins, Ph.D.

April Peters Hawkins, Ph.D.