When I was a kid I learned about the concept of passive protest (or silent protest). During the 1968 Olympics, Gold medalist Tommie Smith and Bronze medalist John Carlos Accepted their medals, and then, during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, put on one black glove each and stood on the podium with their gloved fists in the air. They were also shoeless but wearing black socks to represent black poverty. Smith wore a black scarf to represent black pride. They were booed by the crowd. They were ostracized by the US sports establishment and their families received death threats when they returned home.
In 1999 Tommie Smith was awarded the California Black Sportsman of the Millennium Award. He is now a public speaker. In 2008, they received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards.
Last year I learned about the Nashville Lunch Counter Sit Ins, where protesters sat at lunch counters and endured abuse while trying to order food. They were told not to react to smoke being blown in their faces, hot coffee being poured down their backs, and their dignity being destroyed.
So now we move forward to 2016, where Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49’rs is carrying on the tradition by refusing to stand for the Star Spangled Banner before his games. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said. “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.”
It is great to see a 28 year old millionaire athlete take a stand that could harm his career. Kaepernick has stated that he is going to donate One Million dollars to rights organizations this year. Finally someone is stepping up. In an age when Michael Jordan stood for nothing, Kaepernick is proving that a lone voice can make a difference.
Last year several NBA stars (LeBron James and Derrick Rose among them) wore Black Lives Matter and I can’t breathe T shirts during warm ups before games. They took some grief, but stood by their beliefs. Recently, the New York Liberty wore t shirts expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and were fined by the league.
Tina Charles, the WNBA player of the month, said on Instagram:
Today, I decided to not be silent in the wake of the WNBA fines against NY Liberty, I Indiana Fever & Phoenix Mercury due to our support in the Black Lives Matter movement . Seventy percent of the WNBA players are African-American women and as a league collectively impacted. My teammates and I will continue to use our platform and raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement until the WNBA gives its support as it does for Breast Cancer Awareness, Pride and other subject matters. Lets see what the future holds.
Lets hope more players join the protest.