When Colin Kaepernick took to one knee during the national anthem, he made it clear that he was not protesting the flag, or the national anthem, or patriotism, or U.S. veterans -- of which I'm one. He was doing it because of the unjustified violence against Blacks in this country for which no one was being held accountable.
He was doing it to bring attention to this grave social injustice. Eventually other NFL players joined what was the beginning of a movement. Taking to one knee to bring attention to brutality against African-American men, women, boys and girls.
What Donald Trump did, this weekend, was co-opt that movement.
He told an Alabama audience, in a speech that was nationally televised, that kneeling during the national anthem him was unpatriotic. That it was a protest against the flag. That it was a protest against our country. That it was an insult to our veterans. That it had nothing to do with race.
And millions around the country responded to his words.
Philadelphia Eagles fans actually booed when NFL players took to the knee during the national anthem.
I'm not mad at them.
I'm not even saying that they're stupid, or bigoted.
What I am saying, is that they have bought into the President's narrative.
When Trump said those "son of a bitches" should be fired, that fired up the NFL. So much so that almost every NFL player who took to the field on Sunday either knelt down or locked arms with each other.
The New Orleans decided to simply take a seat on Sunday to protest Trump’s comments.
But dig… They were not locking arms or kneeling because of social injustice. They were specifically reacting to Trump's words -- saying that players who knelt should be fired. They were standing in unity of themselves. Which is cool.
It’s just not what the Taking One Knee movement is about.
So the movement that Kaepernick started last year, as a way to highlight and protest social injustice -- specifically the violence against Blacks -- was used this weekend to protest Trump saying NFL players should be fired. And the people who were protesting the kneel down, were not protesting Kaepernick's movement -- they were protesting what they consider an insult to their belief of patriotism.
Wow!
The movement is not yet lost. But it's not because of any due diligence on the part of Donald Trump. The president is STILL tweeting: "The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!"
But why does Donald Trump all of a sudden feel that he needs to co-opt the movement?
Well, is it because that earlier that day he was being called out for this dis-inviting Steph Curry to the White House for saying he was considering not going to the White House, but having no comment when Tom Brady also said that he was not going to attend?
Just as he called out Kenneth Frazier, a Black man for leaving the White House's manufacturing council but not calling out the four white men on the council who did the same?
President Trump with Kenneth Frazier, CEO and chairman of Merck &Co.
For saying that some of the men who marched with the neo-Nazis during the Charlottesville protest world good men, but calling the Black Lives Matter a terrorist movement?
Something to think about, isn't it?
It's important that we keep the Taking One Knee to Highlight Brutality Against Blacks movement alive, and on track. And the way to do that, is to keep the correct narrative in peoples minds.
Tell them what it's really about.
Tell them that every NFL, NBA, MLB, or any other sports player who takes a knee during the national anthem is speaking out for their community. They are speaking out for us. And this speech must be protected.
I think that Colin Kaepernick would agree with me that Taking One Knee to Highlight Brutality Against Blacks movement is not even about him. The NFL Boycott, and the NFL Blackout, are movements that was started to protest him being blackballed for taking a position (which I also support).
But the Taking One Knee to Highlight Brutality Against Blacks movement is about us. It's not protesting flags, anthems, veterans, kittens, or puppies.
The only thing it's protesting is the fact that even in 2017 Blacks can be killed with no one being held accountable.
The only thing the people who take part in the Taking One Knee movement are guilty is reminding people of that fact.
Let's not let Donald Trump change that narrative