Coach Pays Tribute to Kaepernick During Anthem
In a powerful gesture following the lead of NFL players like Colin Kaepernick and Brandon Marshall, several members of a New Jersey high school football team, along with their coach, knelt during the national anthem. This act aimed to raise awareness about social and economic injustices, echoing the sentiments of Kaepernick and Marshall.
At Woodrow Wilson High School, a predominantly non-white institution, the initiative was spearheaded by Tigers coach Preston Brown. Initially, Coach Brown planned to kneel alone. He explained his reasoning, stating, “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 verse Brown refers to is: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”
Due to recent events and his experiences as an African-American student athlete in the South, Brown felt compelled to protest. He shared, “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.”
Despite his deep love for his country, Brown acknowledges ongoing issues, saying, “I’m African-American, I wouldn’t rather be in any other country. But I can’t be oblivious to the things I see every day that are different four blocks away in a neighboring town.”
After discussing his decision with his players, some chose to join him, likely due to shared experiences and understanding of the challenges he described. “I grew up in poverty, a lot of these kids are growing up in poverty,” Brown explained. “There’s a lot of social injustices and economic disparities. There’s issues right here in our own community.”
The Camden City School District expressed support for the students’ and coach’s actions, emphasizing their pride in the students’ engagement with important social justice issues. District spokesman Brendan Lowe stated, “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.”
Photo Credits:
NBC, USA Today
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