Whether you agree with it or not, what you choose to do during the National Anthem is freedom of expression. Dolphins Jelani Jenkins takes us through his journey and describes why he took a knee.
South Park recently debuted their take on the whole kneeling or standing during the National Anthem. You can watch the video here but their take was absolutely terrific. Over the past weekend, NFL players thought of creative ways to protest during the National Anthem while others took a knee. One of them was Jelani Jenkins. Jenkins took the time to write his reasons behind it for Time and they’re just beautiful. You can just tell that he too wants change and equality. Here are a few highlights from that essay.
What I want is simple; equal rights and equal opportunities for every single person living in this country. The same dream Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had. The same dream my great grandfather, Esau Jenkins, had as he fought for equal rights in Charleston, S.C. He fought the same issues we are still fighting today.
It was a tricky day because it was also September 11 but as he continued to explain, he also demonstrated respect.
After standing with my teammates as we honored those who were victims of the 9/11 attacks with a moment of silence, I knelt during the singing of the national anthem. I have the utmost love and respect for those who risk their lives and died serving this country. Several of my close family members have served in the military. I do not have an ounce of hate in my body and absolutely have no intentions to disrespect the military. I come from a spirit of love and I aim to unite—not divide. This is not about football, the flag, the military, or Jelani Jenkins. This is about the message: equality for all.
And like the other athletes, he too will also be contribute to those foundations for equality. This is what we’ve all been waiting for-athletes to use their platforms to truly bring the necessary change.
By kneeling, I intended to stimulate meaningful dialogue and to raise awareness so that we will be able to find solutions to the problems that exist in this country. I plan on teaming up with the non-profit organization RISE (The Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality), founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, to continue the push for change in a positive direction. I encourage other athletes and entertainers to join the conversation and to similarly let their voices be heard and take positive action.
As he also stated in his essay, change isn’t going to happen overnight but this is a start.