website statistics

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Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in September 2016.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

“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: NBC, NJ.com

Related Posts

The Fascinating Journey of the Kitchen Mixer

Have you ever stopped to think about how the trusty kitchen tool, the mixer, came to be? Let’s take a trip back in time and uncover the…

The Shocking Family Revelation That Turned a Daughters World Upside Down

Families often clash over a loved one’s belongings, and sometimes the disputes become so bitter that no one seems satisfied in the end. One woman shared a…

My Husband Demanded a Paternity Test, and the Results Left Us Both in Shock

A woman shared her dramatic story that couldn’t leave anyone indifferent. After her daughter was born, the new mom couldn’t help but notice that the baby looked nothing like her….

‘You’re Just a Babysitter, Not a Real Man,’ My Wife Said Before Leaving Me with Three Kids — Story of the Day

I thought I had it all—a loving wife, three amazing kids, and a life we built together. But the night I followed her to that party, everything…

I Married a Widower with a Young Son – One Day, the Boy Told Me His Real Mom Still Lives in Our House

“My real mom still lives here,” my stepson whispered one night. I laughed it off, until I started noticing strange things around our home. When I married…

Will she be at the inauguration? Michelle Obama makes a decision after skipping Jimmy Carter”s funeral

After missing President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, former First Lady Michelle Obama will not be present at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. “Former President Barack Obama is…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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