After Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality in the United States, others soon followed suit. Brown, a Tigers coach from a high school in New Jersey, was one of them. Brown has coached at Woodrow Wilson High School for some time and felt it was his duty as a teacher to kneel during the national anthem because his school had a largely non-white student enrollment.
Coach Brown was going to take a knee on his own. However, his players and other coaches have always felt it is necessary to protest racism in America.
“I am well aware of the third verse of the national anthem, which is not usually sung, and I know that the words of the song were not originally meant to include people like me,” the New Jersey coach said.
Although the third verse is not included in the national anthem, Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner contains undeniably racist phrases: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”
He was not going to allow his pupils to feel bad because of their race.
“[Because] of recent events that happened the last couple years, things I experienced in college being an African-American student-athlete in the south, I felt it was an appropriate time to do that,” said Brown, NJ.com reports. “I’m African-American. I wouldn’t rather be in any other country,” he continued. “But I can’t be oblivious to the things I see every day that are different four blocks away in a neighboring town.”
During a speech before the game, Brown informed his players that he intended to kneel during the Star-Spangled Banner. Some students then decided they would participate with him, regardless of their race.
“I grew up in poverty. A lot of these kids are growing up in poverty,” added Brown. “There’s a lot of social injustices and economic disparities. There are issues right here in our own community.”
Students who joined Brown say they did not feel as if they were disrespecting the flag.
“We’re not doing it to be disrespectful toward America,” stated the senior defensive back Amir Tyler. “We’re doing it to bring awareness to social injustice.”
“It hit home for a lot of us because we see it every day,” said senior linebacker Najae Hallenbeck. “We live it every day.”
The coach was taken aback by the public’s reaction to kneeling during the anthem. He did not expect to receive so much support as a result of taking a knee during the anthem.
“I’ve gotten more ‘thank yous’ than anything else,” Brown stated. “People have come up to me and said, ‘Hey, I never thought of it that way. Now I understand what you’re trying to do.’”
“It makes you feel good as a coach when your kids are willing to put their necks on the line for something they believe in,” he continued. “I’m just happy they’re able to see there’s more to life than just football.”
“I hope this encourages other people in my position to do the same thing,” Brown stated. “Not everyone is going to agree with it, but it’s important to have these conversations.”
The Camden City School District responded to Brown’s outcry by stating that they support him – even if they advocate for standing for the flag.
“Whether our students choose to stand, kneel, or otherwise, we’re proud of their engagement with what is more broadly a very important social justice issue,” said the school district spokesman Brendan Lowe.
