The Role Of Social Injustice In Sports

Athletes all over the U.S have made their decision and have taken a stance on what they believe is right. Colin Kaepernick, a football player who used to play for the San Francisco Forty-Niners back in 2016, has made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem. For him, kneeling during the anthem was a gesture of protesting police brutality and social injustice. Although many people claimed that Kaepernick was being anti-american, he was just practicing his first amendment rights. The New York Times has quoted Kaepernick during a post-game conference where he said,- “Once again, I’m not

In August of 2016, Kaepernick began his protest during a NFL preseason game where he initially sat during the singing of the national anthem. At the time, his rebellious efforts became unnoticed, but he soon enough made headlines when someone took a photo of him sitting during the anthem. Thus a social issue was born from the public’s reaction from the photo.The negativity of the public’s reaction stemmed from the norm that it is customary that people raise their right hand over their heart while facing the flag when the Star-Spangled-Banner is playing, so if one does not follow this norm it is identified showing disrespect. Inevitably, the prediction of the people’s reaction were to be expected as they were outraged when Kaepernick broke the norm. Although, it is legal for individuals not to follow these sacrosanct protocols, citizens of the United States find this norm obligatory.Would you stand by and constantly watch the same social issues to keep reoccurring in your neighborhood? Not only that but it keeps happening to different people by the same organization? When numerous acts of police brutality occurred, Colin Kaepernick decided to protest. He could no longer stand by and do nothing; he decided to take a knee. For professional National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, his response was “no”. One of the last waves that came toward the end of the summer is the kneeling while the national anthem played during sporting events. When Kaepernick decided to

For many, speaking up for what you believe in can be difficult and risky, but ultimately worth the risk. Colin Kaepernick took this risk, by kneeling during the national anthem to stand up against “ police brutality and the inequality that people of color”(NFL). With many unjust shootings and police beatings of African Americans, Kaepernick’s teammate Eric Reid couldn’t stand the violence anymore after “the killing of Alton Sterling in my hometown Baton Rouge, La”(Reid). Reid joined Kaepernick in taking a knee during the national anthem, in doing this Kaepernick and Reid inspired other players to raise awareness and help those in need. This decision caused huge impacts on the nation, the NFL, and the youth who look up to the players of the NFL.

This protest started in August of 2016 by an NFL football player named Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid. They both played for the San Francisco 49ers and protested by kneeling during the National Anthem. Everyone present was confused and shocked at why he is doing it. No one ever expected someone out of the blue to begin kneeling during the few moments of unity and paying respects for others. Colin Kaepernick was soon interviewed after the

Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, has created much controversy in the nation over his latest protest. During a preseason football game Kaepernick was photographed sitting during the national anthem (McKirdy). When asked about the action later, Kaepernick explained, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” (Wyche). The nation exploded. Many showed their support for the quarterback, expressing pride in him for “standing up” for the things he believes in. Others displayed their anger with him for disrespecting the flag and all the things the flag represents. After seeing what a backlash his action received, Kaepernick decided to kneel instead of sitting, claiming that his new way of protesting would show more respect for those in the line of duty (Anthem uproar). Although he has the right to protest, sitting during the national anthem is the wrong way to draw attention to a specific cause.

At the start of the 2016 NFL preseason, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, decided to take a seat during the National Anthem. His gesture during the first preseason game went unnoticed until the third preseason game. Many Americans disapproved and were very angry with him because America thinks sitting during the National Anthem is disrespectful to our military and our Nation. In an interview,32 Kaepernick said he was doing this because there is too much racial discrimination and police brutality against blacks. By the last preseason game, Kaepernick was kneeling instead of sitting because he respects the former and current military and he thought sitting was too disrespectful against the military. As the NFL season continues, so does Kaepernick's protest. Americans should be for the National Anthem Protest because the protest is fighting racial discrimination and police brutality.

48, a startling number representing the number of athletes representing some of the 13 NFL teams who made the choice to kneel in protest, against a country that has been able to provide everything for them (Gibbs). As brutality against African Americans continues to increase and gain attention from the media, a few athletes have begun to kneel during the playing of the National Anthem. As soon as this protest began it faced controversy across the country, as many believe it is not an appropriate form of protest. Colin Kaepernick, who is believed to have started the protest, has faced a lot of criticism throughout the media due to this unconventional form of protesting. As the brutality continued some athletes decided to join the protest, however the protest must

In the past few months, discussion has risen within the nation over players kneeling during the national anthem at football games. The first to kneel was Colin Kaepernick back in 2016. He wanted to bring attention to the issue of police brutality against people of color throughout the United States. Opposers believe that Kaepernick, and other football players who have followed his lead, have disrespected

In addition, recently a National Football League player took a knee during the national anthem at a game to alert people of the unjust treatment police officers apprehend on African Americans. In "The Whitewashing Of #TakingAKnee," Prescod-Weinstein wrote: "Rather than celebrate America, Colin Kaepernick sat down and demanded that people watching pay attention to police brutality and more broadly the anti-blackness which is fundamental to the fabric of America." ( Weinstein, 2). This demonstrates a NFL player exercising his right to speak out on police brutality toward African Americans in the United

Colin Kaepernick feels that minorities are not being heard, so he used his higher status to draw attention to the racial inequality by not standing during the national anthem, instead he took a knee. The author of this article feels that the playing of the national anthem has brought politics into the NFL as opposed to Kaepernick as some people feel. However, this article also touches on the fact that his teammate at one point had also taken a knee in support of Kaepernick’s efforts. The way he chose to express his feelings has caused him to be viewed in a negative spotlight by many people all over the country. There are people even outside of the United States who have heard about this controversial situation Kaepernick has been going through.

"We wanted to draw attention to the fact that there's things in this country that still need to change." For Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, taking a knee, sitting or standing with a fist raised proudly in the air has been commonplace in the past year. More and more teammates are joining in. Jenkins white teammate, Chris Long, placed an arm around him to show is support during an August preseason game. He went on to say, "I think it's a good time for people who look like me to be here for people fighting for equality," Long said after the game. (CNN Willingham). Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman feels a lot of the focus on the matter has shifted and explains his position on this social issue and the deeper meaning to why Kaepernick and others did what they did. “You can’t ever stand against the flag…He’s talking about the oppression of African-Americans in this country…This country is the same country that had ‘whites’ and ‘colored’ signs on the bathroom…There are people with that mentality that still exists, and that needs to change” (CNN

In the Atlantic article “They Took A Knee,” author Megan Garber describes the recent outbreak in NFL players and coaches, who have participated in the protest against social oppression, by kneeling during the national anthem. The article describes how there an been an extensive increase in the protests of NFL athletes “after President Trump’s harsh condemnations towards them, for kneeling during the national anthem”. As stated in the article, NFL protests began in 2016, when NFL player Colin Kaepernick “knelt during the pre-game singing of the national anthem...to protest racial oppression against African Americans.” This action has now been replicated by NFL athletes all over the country standing up for equality

Kneeling during the National Anthem began as a protest about police brutality and racial injustice but exploded into many other subcategories and arguments. Many people have begun to question the integrity and beliefs of many players who have used kneeling or sitting during the National Anthem as a form of protest. One of the more frequents interpretations of the protest has been that the protestors don’t support our military or government. Although an article recently released quickly ended those misinterpretation, “Kaepernick announced afterward that he would donate the first million of his $11.9 million salary

Protest of the national anthem in sports started in the 2016 National Football League season (NFL) when San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, kneeled during the anthem. In an article written by sports enterprise reporter Nancy Armour, Kaepernick gave an explanation for his protest “Racism. Discrimination. Police brutality. Economic inequality.”(Armour). Kaepernick started a trend within the NFL causing multiple teams to either kneel or sit down during the national anthem; in response to this, President Donald Trump according to Erik Brady a sports reporter for USA Today stated “NFL owners to fire players who don't stand for the national anthem”(Brady). Every NFL team protested by locking arms, sitting or kneeling during the national anthem due to what Trump said about the protesters.

Asian people are under-represented in America. There isn’t very many of them in sports. Only 1.9% of people in the National Football League(NFL) are Asian. Only 2.1% of people in Major League Baseball( MLB) are Asian. Worst of all Asians only make up .2% of the National Basketball Association(NBA). Asians are even underrepresented in pop culture. White actors often play the roles of Asians in movies. In the movie Ghost in a Shell The main character Motoko Kusanagi was played by Scarlett Johansson. In the movie Star Trek Into Darkness, the main character Khan Noonien Singh was played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Asians aren’t just underrepresented in Hollywood, they are also underrepresented on television. The television series Fresh Off the Boat is the first prime-time sitcom, in 20 years since All-American girl by Margaret Cho, to feature an Asian American cast. In the United States, we have more than 50 million Asians but they are criminally underrepresented in sports and pop culture. Many Asian kids grow up and don’t have many famous people of their same race to look up to. These kids go through their whole life with nobody to look up to.