The History of Protesting at Sporting Events

Guest: Richard Kimball, PhD, Professor of History, Brigham Young University Fewer pro-football players knelt during the national anthem at NFL games on Sunday. Most teams either stood together, arms linked during the anthem or - in the case of the a few teams - knelt first as a team and then stood for the anthem. When the Baltimore Ravens took a knee before standing for the Star Spangled Banner, the crowd booed. The kneeling began as a protest for racial justice, but President Trump’s tweets reframed it as a question of patriotism – those who fail to stand during the anthem show disrespect for the flag, the country and the military, he says. Let’s have a look at the history of protest by athletes during the national anthem in the US.