In August 2016, NFL player Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem at the start of NFL games to protest racial and social injustice. Initially, no one seemed to notice that Kapernick was kneeling. However, as the 2016 NFL season went on, additional players began to join Kaepernick in kneeling during the anthem and within short order around 200 players had knelt or sat during the national anthem.
Kapernick made clear that he was kneeling during the anthem, not to disrespect the flag or America’s soldiers, but to call attention to his view that America was not living up to the values that she purports to stand for. As Kapernick stated:
America’s soldiers, “fight for freedom, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up, as far as giving freedom and justice, liberty to everybody.”
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to exploit a good cause, Trump quickly inserted himself into the debate over whether it was appropriate for anyone to kneel during the national anthem. Trump called for NFL team owners to fire any player who knelt during the national anthem and “get that son of a bitch off the field.”
According to Trump, those who don’t “stand proudly for the National Anthem...Maybe shouldn't be in the country,” and Americans, “cannot disrespect our country, our flag, our anthem.”
Trump’s reaction to the protests revealed that not only did he not care about why the protests were taking place, but he didn’t understand the constitutional rights afforded to all Americans.
As stated in the Constitution, Americans explicitly have the right to peacefully protest. Furthermore, in 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Americans have the right to burn the American flag as a form of protest protected by the First Amendment.
Unlike Trump, Kaepernick’s sponsor, Nike, decided to embrace him and his message calling attention to racial and social injustice in America. Nike’s decision to double down on Kaepernick, after he began protesting, came at the risk of igniting the angry wrath of Trump and possible backlash from the largely white and older NFL fanbase.
Nevertheless, Nike persisted, and at the start of September debuted its Fall 2018 ad campaign featuring Kaepernick and the slogan, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Just Do It.”
The sacrifice being a direct reference to Kaepernick kneeling in protest before NFL games at the risk of losing his job. Despite playing in the Super Bowl in 2013, Kaepernick did not play in any NFL games last season, remains unsigned and has brought a collusion case against the NFL.
Since the release of the Kaepernick ad campaign, Nike’s stock has risen 5 percent, representing a $6 billion increase in the overall value of the company. In addition, Nike CEO Mark Parker said the brand has seen "record engagement” with customers since announcing the Kaepernick ad campaign.
Though it is not clear how much of Nike’s growth can be attributed to its work with Kaepernick, what does appear clear is that Trump’s prediction that Nike was going to get “absolutely killed with anger and boycotts” for its partnership with Kaepernick, was totally wrong.
Americans and American corporations must not allow their values to be compromised by Trump. Despite being elected president, Trump not only does not understand the rights afforded to all Americans under the Constitution, but he does not hold American values. Trump is out of touch with the American people and needs to be confronted by Americans from all walks of life and U.S. corporations from all industries. We can not allow Trump to dictate to us how we should treat one another and what values we hold dear.
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