U.S. national anthem protests
Protests during the playing of the United States national anthem have had many causes, including civil rights, anti-conscription, anti-war, anti-nationalism, and religious reservations.
Well's husband, Ferdinand L. Barnett, closed the meeting appealing for calm and a careful response, but also expressing great frustration and concern that the violence against blacks may one day lead to reprisals.
For example, during the build-up towards World War II, a group of students at Haverford College in Philadelphia refused to stand because they felt the custom was leading to "rabid nationalism".
[9] In 1943 in Arizona, a federal judge ruled that members of Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be suspended from school for refusing to stand during the national anthem.
[12] A federal judge Joseph P. Kinneary ordered reinstatement of a pair of students in Columbus, Ohio, saying that forcing anyone to participate in "symbolic patriotic ceremonies" against their will was a violation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
[13] In 1978, on The New York Times, Daniel A. Jenkins suggested "making it a Federal offense to have it [the anthem] played at any professional sporting event of any kind" to better serve "a nation sick to death of war".
[14][15] From 1968 onwards, Jimi Hendrix performed an instrumental version using feedback, distortion and other effects to deconstruct the music with the sonic images of rockets and bombs.
[16] Donald Sutherland, Gary Goodrow, Peter Boyle, and Jane Fonda developed an anti-war comedy show which featured a skit about people refusing to stand during the anthem which toured about 20 cities in 1971.
After having won gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200 meter running event, they turned on the podium to face their flags, and to hear the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".
[20] Another place where African Americans refused to stand during the anthem in 1971 was at Northern Illinois University basketball games, which led to widespread criticism.
[26] On August 24, 1990, Irish pop singer Sinéad O'Connor threatened to boycott her scheduled performance that night at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, if the U.S. national anthem were played.
In her own words, she explained, I sincerely harbor no disrespect for America or Americans, but I have a policy of not having any national anthems played before my concerts in any country, including my own, because they have nothing to do with music in general ...
[33] In 2003, two women's basketball players, Toni Smith of Manhattanville College and Deidra Chatman of the University of Virginia, made headlines for refusing to face the flag during the national anthem.
[34] Smith, who had been boycotting the anthem all season long before being finally noticed in February 2003, said that she was also protesting the United States' involvement in Iraq, as well as a growing disparity between the rich and the poor.
The protests began in the National Football League (NFL) after San Francisco 49ers quarterback (QB) Colin Kaepernick sat during the anthem, as opposed to the tradition of standing, before his team's third preseason game of 2016.
[38] By the time the first Sunday of the regular season started in September 2016, several other players starting taking part in Kaepernick's protests, including: his teammate Eric Reid, Seattle Seahawks' Jeremy Lane, Denver Broncos' Brandon Marshall (who lost three endorsement deals for his actions), four Miami Dolphins players, Kansas City Chief's Marcus Peters, and New England Patriots' Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty.
In 1989, on the New York Times, an opinion wrote, "Nowadays, sports promoters don't even try to get people to participate [by singing along] and the anthem is either presented like an aria from Tannhauser or used as a launch pad for a rock star's ego trip.
