Trinity Bella Hawkins 6th - President Obama Speaks on Kapernick

Summary: During his G20 speech in China, President Barack Obama was prompted to speak upon recent events that were occuring the U.S. - this includes the incident in which San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick refused to stand for the United States national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. Kapernick refused to stand for said song because he was "not going to stand and show pride for a flag of a nation that oppresses black people and people of color". The quarterback ps words have spurred a national and international debate on what the sing means to people, what it stands for, what the procedures should be for people who refuse to stand, and the ultimate auestion - what does it mean for our nation as a whole. The President briefly spoke on it, saying that either standing or not standing for the anthem are Kapernick's "constitutional  rights" to stand or not stand for the anthem and that he was just exercising them. President Obama also went on to say that Kapernick had "a point around certain concerns around justice and equality".  The President recognized the controversy that such an overt act of intolerance for racism has caused.

Analysis: As a black man in the presidential office of such a racist, prejudice, and white supremacist country, President Obama could have done more. As the President of the United States, he could have   said less. Most people will never find themselves satisfied with the President and all he says, but him speaking on such an issue is a big step and also the fact that he took time out of such an important meeting to speak on this really puts emphasis on how important both Colin Kaepernick's words and actions were and are, and why we need to be more vocal about the simmering layer of injustice in our country.

Synthesis: The most obvious connection to the history of our country is during the civil rights movement when activists such as Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey refused to pledge allegiance to the flag and sing our national anthem because of them injustices people of color and black people in particular have faced in this country under that anthem and the flag. White supremacy is nothing new - it just goes under a new name.