2021 has been a transformative year for the United States.
In addition to the Noble COVID-19 pandemic we are also in the midst of racial civil unrest. The Black Lives Matter movement is gaining more and more momentum and the NFL is not exempt from this movement. In the third opening preseason game of 2016, San Francisco 49ers Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick was noticed “taking a knee” during the national anthem, “Star-Spangled Banner.”
When asked, Kaepernick stated “I’m not going to stand up and show pride for a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Kaepernick went on to say that “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’s protests highly polarized the Nation with some praising him and his stand against racism and others denouncing the protests.
The wide spread attention that Kaepernick and other athletes who he inspired, intensified in September 2017 after President Donald Trump said that NFL owners should “fire” players who protest during the national anthem. Much more has happened since 2016 and now other NFL players like Houston Texans star J.J. Watt and Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield who have stated publicly and to their fans that they are also ready to take a knee to support racial equality and raise awareness around police brutality. These players are ready to take a hard stance to bring awareness to their fans who don’t agree with this action.
Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 in direct response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. On the night of February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, 17-year old Martin, was fatally shot by a 28-year-old, George Zimmerman during a physical altercation between the two. Trayvon was unarmed. This past May, an African American man by the name of George Floyd, was killed during an arrest by a white police officer. The officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on Floyd’s neck for approximately eight minutes until Floyd suffocated to death.
The incident was caught on video. After his death, protests against police violence towards black people quickly spread across the US and the world. Kaepernick became a free agent after the 2017 football season-most observers attribute this to political reasons. In November 2017, he filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the league. Kaepernick withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL. However, his protests received renewed attention in 2020 amid the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racism.
The NFL has wrestled with the issue of race for decades. Only three-quarters of NFL players are African-American, yet nearly every NFL team owner is white. This fact has raised some eyebrows and this past NFL season, saw a slight decline in game attendance and viewership as a result. Racial protests combined with a worldwide pandemic could have a substantial negative impact on the NFL.
As the US continues to come to terms with its race issues, it is only a matter of time before more white people begin to stand up – or kneel – to show their support of these fellow Americans. Athletes are ready to step up and become leaders when it comes to civil rights and racial equality. Houston Texans, coach Bill O’Brien says he will be taking a knee regardless of what the NFL or the president wants. Baker Mayfield prepared to “lose fans” over him taking a knee. When on fans asked him if he was going to kneel, he replied, “Pull your head out. I absolutely am (going to take a knee during the national anthem).”
