Photo credit: Keith Allison
Some members of the San Francisco 49ers kneel during the National Anthem before a game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland.
Chaired by National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell, 39 of the NFL’s crème de la crème convened in a meeting last October to discuss the National Anthem protests spearheaded by former quarterback Colin Kaepernick. As highlighted in Ken Belson’s and Mark Leibovic’s recent New York Times article “Inside the Confidential NFL Meeting to Discuss National Anthem Protests,” the stakeholders’ objective was to address the “public hostility” experienced by the NFL (as well as ruffled presidential feathers) by players kneeling during the playing of the U.S. National Anthem before football games.
In theory, a people should never be afraid of its government; otherwise there is a risk of a tyranny. Patriotism does not equal complacency but rather raises questions of its government and its citizenry when there is injustice in a democracy. For this reason, players who decide to use their status as a platform to protest racial inequality and police malfeasance should not experience retaliation for exercising their constitutional First Amendment rights.
Although the football field is a non-conventional forum to voice grievances, we must recognize the magnitude of its influence on Americans. Football is a symbol of cultural pride that unifies most of us despite racial and socio-economic disparities. Therefore, it is an effective tool as it draws and holds the layman’s attention. Thus, the protests exhibited in this non-conventional forum can shed light on pertinent issues that plague the African American community. Racial prejudice is the tip of the iceberg. Other issues include unemployment, lack of adequate schools-education, poverty and drugs.
‘Stop That Other Business?’
Perhaps the most striking comment in Belson’s and Leibovic’s article was a quote by Houston Texans owner Bob McNair who attended the October meeting. He stated: “You fellas need to ask your compadres, fellas, stop that other business, let’s go out and do something that really produces positive results, and we’ll help you.” At first blush, this directive seems harmless, requiring players to stop kneeling and to focus on immediate, results-oriented action plans. Let me preface this by commending those players who choose to give back their money and time in solidarity with—and in support of—their communities.
However, McNair does not acknowledge the fact that he is a Caucasian male who has (whether he is aware or not) benefited from white privilege vis à vis the African American players who comprise 70% of the NFL’s lineup. White privilege is difficult to grapple with as it is nuanced with other factors such as family upbringing, values, economic status and gender that influence an individual’s worldview. McNair fails to recognize the despondency and conviction it must take for an African American NFL player like Kaepernick to risk his career, reputation and beaucoup dollars in protest of racial bias and police brutality.
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McNair and other team owners must not pay “lip service” but rather show a commitment to the players’ right to protest on the field—in particular those who have been historically marginalized and continue to experience the ripple effects of injustice. Moreover, owners who champion players’ protests amidst any negative public relations or tension with Donald Trump are not being unpatriotic but rather courageous in displaying their team spirit.
The business of sports and amassing enormous profits should neither outweigh free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment nor curtail the marketplace of ideas. America cannot be “great” when African Americans and other people of color experience oppression and mass incarceration. NFL players, concerned citizens and community organizations can mobilize from grassroots to boardrooms, but the government’s backing is required to fuel these efforts. Most importantly, the government has an obligation to ensure that all its citizens are equally protected under the rule of law.
