Coach Pays Tribute To Kaepernick During Anthem, Players Join In – Here’s How That Worked Out For Them

Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in September 2016.

Following the lead of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, a few members of a New Jersey high school football team knelt while the national anthem played.

Like Kaepernick and Marshall, coaches and students combined as the predominantly non-white Woodrow Wilson school performed the controversial move to raise awareness of social and economic injustice, NBC News reports.

Initially, Tigers coach Preston Brown said he was going to kneel alone in protest.

“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,” he explained.

The silent third verse he’s referring to reads: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”

“[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,” explained Brown, NJ.com reports.

Photo credit: NBC, ​USA Today
Photo credit: NBC, ​USA Today

“I’m African-American, I wouldn’t rather be in any other country,” he added. “But I can’t be oblivious to the things I see every day that are different four blocks away in a neighboring town.”

After informing players of his decision, some of the students decided to join Brown, likely because the students could empathize with his reasons.

“I grew up in poverty, a lot of these kids are growing up in poverty,” explained Brown. “There’s a lot of social injustices and economic disparities. There’s issues right here in our own community.”

While they support standing for the flag, the Camden City School District said they agreed with Brown’s sentiments and praised the students.

“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,” school district spokesman Brendan Lowe said.

Sources: NBCNJ.com

Related Posts

Find the Mistake in This Picture! Give It a Try!

Welcome to a fun challenge! Can you spot the mistake hidden in this picture? Give it a go, and see if your eye for detail is sharp enough to solve…

Read more

Another terrible loss for the Bryant family, sending prayers

Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died at the age of 69, La Salle University’s athletics department reported. Citing La Salle men’s head…

Read more

At first, when I saw this creature, I thought it was merely a toy resembling a walking snake skeleton.

I’ve always had a slight fear of snakes, but I’m fortunate to reside in an area where venomous ones are rare. Nevertheless, I find these creatures incredibly captivating, and there’s…

Read more

BRITAIN’S YOUNGEST PARENTS: AGE12 AND 13

A 12-year-old girl recently gave birth to a 7-pound baby girl, making her and her 13-year-old boyfriend Britain’s youngest parents. According to *The Sun*, the girl fell pregnant at 11…

Read more

Discover the Hidden Charms of Your iPhone’s Volume Buttons

The iPhone is a device that many of us are familiar with, and its progress over the years is remarkable. While it showcases only three keys, the sound controls on…

Read more

Blind Mystic Baba Vanga Makes Unsettling Predictions for 2025

Blind mystic Baba Vanga’s predictions for 2025 warn of a major conflict in Europe, possibly sparking global chaos. Her followers believe this could signal a gradual societal breakdown, aligning with…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *