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What’s Better Than One Billionaire Remaining Seated During the Super Bowl National Anthem? Two
Jay-Z and Beyoncé are taking a stand…or actually, taking a seat. “I think that we forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice,” Jay-Z said at the widely-viewed press conference announcing his partnership with the National Football League this past summer. “In that case, this is the success. This is the…
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Virginia Theological Seminary, With Deep Roots in Slavery, Sets Aside $1.7 Million to Pay Reparations
The Virginia Theological Seminary, in what is being called a first for an institution of its kind, has set aside $1.7 million in a fund to pay reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans that toiled on its campus during the 1800s. Unlike some other institutions which have grappled with figuring out how to come…
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Exclusive: An Interview With the 3 Most Important Figures in the NFL Anthem Protests
In the ongoing debate about the NFL player protests during the national anthem, The Root has obtained an exclusive interview with three figures at the center of the debate. Staff Writer Michael Harriot and Senior Politics Editor Stephen A. Crockett sat down to discuss the issue with the American flag, the National Anthem and a…
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The National Anthem Is Racist, and We Made a Video in Case You Forgot
One thing that hasn’t changed: The Star-Spangled Banner is still racist. Initially titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” the anthem was written in 1814 by a white dude named Francis Scott Key—a man who owned slaves and thought that they were an “inferior race of people,” who were untrustworthy and indolent. As a lieutenant in the…
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Sen. Kamala Harris Drops Some Truth Bombs, Defends NFL Protests During Remarks at Historically Black Church
Sen. Kamala Harris had some time Sunday to do the Lord’s work and speak some major truths that more than just a couple of people (like President Twitter Fingers) probably needed to hear said out loud. Talking at the 150th anniversary of the First Congregational Church in Atlanta, which is the second-oldest African-American Congregational church…
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Team Jamaica to Trump: ‘Leave the Boss Out of Your Politricks’
Just when you thought Donald Trump was finally going to do something about Puerto Rico, he tweets some bullshit about the national anthem. Again. This time, however, he dragged Jamaican running legend Usain Bolt into the conversation, tweeting out a completely irrelevant video of the runner acknowledging “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the 2012 London Olympics.…
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Colin Kaepernick Will Stand for Anthem Next Season, and He Should
Can you hear it? It’s the sound of soldiers cheering because they no longer feel disrespected. It’s the ghosts of the men and women who risked their lives for this country letting out sighs of relief. The Statue of Liberty is smiling. Even Jesus is giving a thumbs-up. America is great again. San Francisco 49ers…
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Terry Bradshaw: Colin Kaepernick and Others Will 'Pay' for 'Disrespect' of Flag
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, like most old white men who are both for and against Colin Kaepernick’s protest, confuses me. Recently, Bradshaw appeared on the über-conservative Fox & Friends morning show to note that Kaepernick and others who are protesting police killings of unarmed African-American men, women and children are “disrespecting” the flag…
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Don’t Let Jason Kidd Fool You; His Team Absolutely Protested During National Anthem
The NBA has super-strict rules when it comes to the national anthem. Ever since Denver Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf protested by sitting during “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1996, the league has a specific rule that states, “Players, coaches and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on…
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Colin Kaepernick on Terence Crutcher, Death Threats and Donations
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick will give $100,000 a month to 10 organizations over the next 10 months. Kaepernick added that while the organizations have not been determined, a website will be set up so that the public can track how the donations will be spent. The move comes amid his continued protest against…
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