By Nathanael Person
The 1960s was a tumultuous decade for Americans of ethnic minority. No group embodied this struggle as much as African Americans.
As the United States slowly realized the dream of desegregation, racism and violence were rampant. Tommie Smith and John Carlos decided the issue transcended what it meant to be American, and at the 1968 Olympic Games, they introduced the plight of African Americans to the world.
This iconic moment in history has been forever immortalized in a breath- taking statue located on San Jose State Universi- ty’s campus. During this decade, these sentiments should’ve been acceptable. Unfortunately, once they voiced their beliefs in a public forum, it became utterly taboo.
This raises the question of whether this reaction was the guttural response from a perceived disgrace of the anthem, or was it that the world was still a very bigoted place?
Smith and Carlos were ostracized from the athletic world. Though neither Olympian deserved the response, they paved the way for important conversations and demonstrations to take place to this day.
These benefit African American athletes directly, and may have never been acceptable without Smith and Carlos bringing the issues to the spotlight. It provided evidence for generations of athletes that racism in sports was not just a thing of the past.
It encouraged athletes to push for progress at every opportunity. Colin Kaepernick is one athlete who sought for change
in society by tapping into the vast reach of his voice. After a successful career in college, Kaepernick was given a chance in the NFL by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.
In subsequent years, Kaepernick decided he should use his influence to protest police brutality.
The reaction was similar to that of Smith and Carlos. In the wake of his demonstrations, Kaepernick lost his job with
the 49ers because of his inability to perform.
Many analysts assumed some teams express great interest in him. The complete opposite ensued. From 2016, when he was let go by the 49ers until 2018, when he filed a collusion lawsuit against the NFL, Kaepernick sat in defiance of redacting his protest, while simultaneously remaining unemployed by the NFL.
The major differences of this protest revolve around the fact that nobody of any worth has disputed the content of Kaepernick’s statements.
The argument being posed is that by kneeling, Kaepernick is inherently disrespecting the United States. Many fans who vehemently support Kaepernick think this is idiotic when they should be celebrating the fact that society has made it this far.
While some find it ludicrous that people want the national anthem to be free of protests, others easily understand why it may be offensive. Furthermore, it seems ridiculous that Kaepernick would sabotage his career that provided him with a greater voice than he has now.
As we advance as a society, bringing equality to everyone should remain a paramount concern in all parts of life.
Follow Nate on Twitter @PersonNathanael