Denny Jacob
JRN 3060
Black Lives Matter was born in 2013 on Facebook in a response to the death of Trayvon Martin. Three simple words spurred thousands across the nation to revive an ideal that should have never been forgotten. On August 27th, 2016, Colin Kaepernick exercised the right to not stand for the national anthem because he would not “stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Reactions to Colin’s stance have spanned from contempt to total support. We live in a country where our athletes have a platform to be heard; are we always keen on what they say, however? I’ll turn to the student athletes of Baruch and ask them – in light of Colin’s actions – will they still stand for the flag?
The issue is important because we are in a tumultuous time as the election gets underway. Millennials will play a huge role in the years to come as we shape America; we also voiced our concern for gun-policies and injustices to people of color in the most recent occurrences. We know how athletes and media organizations are reacting to Colin’s moves, but little of student athletes: do they agree with how he is using his platform? Should the flag be outside the scope of scrutiny when involved in an athletic sport? Which transcends which: the sport or the issues?
I should be the one to tell it because as an employee of the Baruch A.R.C. facility, I constantly pass and interact with the athletes, whether they are on or off season; especially as a season is underway. I also have direct access to coaches and staff through first-hand experience and supervisors who are in direct contact with higher ranking officials in the Athletic Department.
Source: http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17401815/colin-kaepernick-san-francisco-49ers-sits-national-anthem-prior-preseason-game
