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Evolution Of Taking A Knee
Colin Kaepernick’s Protest Five Years Ago Still Resonates
Colin Kaepernick’s protest against racism landed in Tokyo this past week. The landing was smooth and powerful.
It was not exactly the same as Kaepernick’s protesting but the target remains the same — racism. Kap’s protest was specifically directed at a particular manifestation of racism — police officers killing unarmed Black people, and the perpetrators not being held accountable.
The current protest, I interpret as, all of the above (racism) and especially racism at the Tokyo Olympics.
Initially, the International Olympic Committee banned any protest kneeling during the Tokyo Games. They cited a long-standing rule of the Games banning political protests in the rules.
That rule was put in place because of the most famous Olympic protest of all in 1968 when Tommy Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists in the air as they received their medals and the National Anthem played in Mexico City. Theirs is the gold standard of athletic protesting.
