Colin Kaepernick’s Natl’ Anthem Protest Sparks Right Wing Anger

FEATURING COURTNEY MORRIS – A small act by a football star has exploded in a big way in the traditional and social media and become a symbol of the on-going struggle for racial justice in the US. The 49ers star Colin Kaepernick decided recently that he could no longer stand up when the national anthem was being played.

He was asked to explain himself, and he did, saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Courtney Morris, assistant professor of African American and Women’s Studies at Penn State University and a correspondent for Rising Up.