Colin Kaepernick refuses “to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people”...

[blackrain]

 

[VulcanRaven]

I dont know if this has been posted or not...
http://www.theroot.com/articles/his...hidden-racist-history-of-the-national-anthem/

Star-Spangled Bigotry: The Hidden Racist History of the National Anthem

Spoiler

Americans generally get a failing grade when it comes to knowing our “patriotic songs.” I know more people who can recite “America, F–k Yeah” from Team America than “America the Beautiful.” “Yankee Doodle”? No one older than a fifth-grader in chorus class remembers the full song. “God Bless America”? More people know the Rev. Jeremiah Wright remix than the actual full lyrics of the song. Most black folks don’t even know “the black national anthem.” (There’s a great story about Bill Clinton being at an NAACP meeting where he was the only one who knew it past the first line. Bill Clinton: Woke in the ’90s.)

In the case of our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” perhaps not knowing the full lyrics is a good thing. It is one of the most racist, pro-slavery, anti-black songs in the American lexicon, and you would be wise to cut it from your Fourth of July playlist.

“The Star-Spangled Banner,” as most Americans know it, is only a couple of lines. In fact, if you look up the song on Google, only the most famous lyrics pop up on Page 1:

Oh say can you see,

By the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hailed,

At the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars,

Through the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watched,

Were so gallantly streaming.

And thy rocket’s red glare,

Thy bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through thee night,

That our flag was still there.

Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave,

O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

The story, as most of us are told, is that Francis Scott Key was a prisoner on a British ship during the War of 1812 and wrote this poem while watching the American troops battle back the invading British in Baltimore. That—as is the case with 99 percent of history that is taught in public schools and regurgitated by the mainstream press—is less than half the story.

To understand the full “Star-Spangled Banner” story, you have to understand the author. Key was an aristocrat and city prosecutor in Washington, D.C. He was, like most enlightened men at the time, not against slavery; he just thought that since blacks were mentally inferior, masters should treat them with more Christian kindness. He supported sending free blacks (not slaves) back to Africa and, with a few exceptions, was about as pro-slavery, anti-black and anti-abolitionist as you could get at the time.

Of particular note was Key’s opposition to the idea of the Colonial Marines. The Marines were a battalion of runaway slaves who joined with the British Royal Army in exchange for their freedom. The Marines were not only a terrifying example of what slaves would do if given the chance, but also a repudiation of the white superiority that men like Key were so invested in.

All of these ideas and concepts came together around Aug. 24, 1815, at the Battle of Bladensburg, where Key, who was serving as a lieutenant at the time, ran into a battalion of Colonial Marines. His troops were taken to the woodshed by the very black folks he disdained, and he fled back to his home in Georgetown to lick his wounds. The British troops, emboldened by their victory in Bladensburg, then marched into Washington, D.C., burning the Library of Congress, the Capitol Building and the White House. You can imagine that Key was very much in his feelings seeing black soldiers trampling on the city he so desperately loved.

A few weeks later, in September of 1815, far from being a captive, Key was on a British boat begging for the release of one of his friends, a doctor named William Beanes. Key was on the boat waiting to see if the British would release his friend when he observed the bloody battle of Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Sept. 13, 1815. America lost the battle but managed to inflict heavy casualties on the British in the process. This inspired Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” right then and there, but no one remembers that he wrote a full third stanza decrying the former slaves who were now working for the British army:

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,

That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion

A home and a Country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

In other words, Key was saying that the blood of all the former slaves and “hirelings” on the battlefield will wash away the pollution of the British invaders. With Key still bitter that some black soldiers got the best of him a few weeks earlier, “The Star-Spangled Banner” is as much a patriotic song as it is a diss track to black people who had the audacity to fight for their freedom. Perhaps that’s why it took almost 100 years for the song to become the national anthem.

To hear more of the story, there is an excellent short documentary about the history of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by some students at Morgan State University. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to switch up your Fourth of July patriotic playlist.

Jason Johnson, Political Editor at The Root, is a professor of Political Science at Morgan State's School of Global Journalism and Communications and is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, Al Jazeera International, Fox Business News and SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. Follow him on Twitter.

Kap is real for what he is doing.

This also proves that Christianity is bullshit and no black person should be following that faith. The fuck is Christian kindness?

It's amazing that with everything mentioned in that article that's what you decided to zero in on smh...

I read the whole thing but that is a part of the oppression that people seem to ignore. That is also a larger issue as the National Anthem is just a song, while Christianity speaks to mental slavery.

All religions are mental slavery.

I agree. Just that Christianity particularly was used to control blacks.

Even your online SN shows who your master is. Fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Amen.

Your master is the white man. Don't assume to know what my beliefs are just because I recognize Christianity as a tool for oppression.

 

[313 wayz]

Lochte: Tell them you are just a 28 year old kid that made a mistake, that'll get them off your back bro, it worked for me! I'm out.....got to go practice my ballroom steps because I am going to be a contestant on the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars and shoot a commercial for this new endorsement I got a couple of days ago after I lost 4 of my endorsements.....later bro!

Kaepernick: WTF?

 

[bull6599]

White people keep saying that he is disrespecting the people that died for that flag, when in reality he is just standing up for the black people who died because of that flag past and present

Every time I hear that shit I just bring up how America disrespected the black men that fought for this country in the past. Most of these crackas don't even reply when I hit em w/ that shit. The ones that do basically say "well that was back then...this is now". That's pretty much another version of "get over it", which is their response when their white guilt is activated.

 

[VulcanRaven]

Maybe I'm outta pocket and no disrespect to the vets here but ain't no soldier ever died for me. I know he can't push it that far but fuck what these niggas talking about

We all gotta choose our own path, soldiers chose theirs. I'm appalled at the arrogance of anybody implying they died and fought for my imaginary freedom.

No you are right in pocket. I said before the only people who died for us are black freedom fighters who this country assassinated. Soldiers are pawns anyway.

 

[numbaz...80's baby]

The American flag and the confederate was always the same to me. I never understood why black folks shitted on one and saluted the other.

1 just meant "I saved you niggers" to me.

 

[313 wayz]

these people are in their feelings, this is fake outrage on the people who are "offended" by Kap's actions. He did a nonviolent and individual protest, I am really trying to see what the problem is. Making standing for the national anthem mandatory falls under a practice that dictators in the vein of Hitler, Mussolini, etc would do.

It would be dope if Kap had and read screenshots of racist social media posts to the crowd of reporters during his next post-game interview. Not sure if that would solve anything but he should read them with no fucks given to reinforce why he is not standing while the anthem is played.

 

[VulcanRaven]

What does the American flag and the national anthem mean and represent to you guys here?

Personally I never felt the reverence for them that'd actually make me upset if someone doesn't view them as sacred.

It don't mean shit to me and never meant shit to me. Upholding the ideals and morals of what this country is supposed to represent is what I care about. That flag and anthem are just propaganda.

 

[D. Morgan]

https://twitter.com/iHeartMiko/status/770467931075510272

Love the comment. Even though she is a habitual line stepper she got the shit right on this one.

Rice is a great football player but is some real sucka shit with that comment. Some of these niggas need reality checks.

 

[The_Jackal]

As a military man what I hate the most I'd motherfuckers acting like it's disrespectful to me cause anyone refuses to stand. Like your standing got your right hand over your heart, a fucking hot dog in your left hand, and you barley know the words to the anthem. That makes you a patriot? Fuck you cause I guarantee 9 times out of 10 the the niggas complaining about it have not given anything or sacrificed anything for this country. So take that "ima patriot I love this country" bullshit to the left.

 

[So ILL]

Jackie Robinson: “I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag”

They parade #42 in MLB but he said this. Where is the white tears for this?

One of my brainwashed marine friends got shut down on Facebook with that yesterday by one of his fellow vets. Brainwashed coon-ass was calling Kap a joke and saying he could never relate to Jackie Robinson, who really pioneered his sport and faced real oppression. His man came back with that and all he could ask was if Robinson said it before or after retirement? Nigga, it don't matter! Robinson saw the country failed to live up to what the flag is supposed to stand for like your Mexican ass needs to be doing smh.

 

[The_Jackal]

That's the real irony of this country though. Niggas swear they love it and are quick to bash anyone who is even a small bit critical of it, yet they don't want to serve it in anyway. I don't want to hear how you support the troops, give them discounts, etc etc. That's cool it is but that doesn't make you a patriot. I cannot believe how childish this fucking country is.

 

[D. Morgan]

That's the real irony of this country though. Niggas swear they love it and are quick to bash anyone who is even a small bit critical of it, yet they don't want to serve it in anyway. I don't want to hear how you support the troops, give them discounts, etc etc. That's cool it is but that doesn't make you a patriot. I cannot believe how childish this fucking country is.

WTF has this country shown you to make you really feel that way?

 

[thegreatunknown]

A lot of thoughtful comments in here.

The flag to me is just a flag. When I look at it, I don't think about freedom and I damn sure don't think about the military.

Anyone who conflates Kaep's stance to anti-military issue is full of shit. Like others have said, standing up at a baseball or football game during the national anthem doesn't make one a "patriot" anyone more than calling French fries "freedom" fries did a few years ago.

All the pro military, war mongering sycophants are all talk. Those are not the people who come home in a bodybag. My father did two tours in Vietnam. He didn't speak on his experience all that much, but he made a point to say that all the flag waving, super patriots were the main ones getting the deferrals, or mysteriously failing physicals.

 

[ghostdog56]

Black people built this country and shed blood for all the benefits and freedoms that white people receive and we don't. So in my opinion us black folk have earned the right to do whatever the fuck we want to with that flag whether it's shitting on it, spitting on it, pissing on it, or burning it and a cracker better not say a dam thing because you owe your whole quality of life to black people so you need to show some respect

 

[Rasta.]

Stan Verrett eloquently responds to Colin's stance..."you're not always going to agree with the method but let's pay as much attention to the substance as we do the symbols" GOAT SHIT!

 

The user and all related content has been deleted.

 

[The_Jackal]

That's the real irony of this country though. Niggas swear they love it and are quick to bash anyone who is even a small bit critical of it, yet they don't want to serve it in anyway. I don't want to hear how you support the troops, give them discounts, etc etc. That's cool it is but that doesn't make you a patriot. I cannot believe how childish this fucking country is.

WTF has this country shown you to make you really feel that way?

I ain't saying this shit anywhere close to perfect but I know people of all ethnicities who are good and simply trying to survive in this cold world.

 

[D. Morgan]

That's the real irony of this country though. Niggas swear they love it and are quick to bash anyone who is even a small bit critical of it, yet they don't want to serve it in anyway. I don't want to hear how you support the troops, give them discounts, etc etc. That's cool it is but that doesn't make you a patriot. I cannot believe how childish this fucking country is.

WTF has this country shown you to make you really feel that way?

I ain't saying this shit anywhere close to perfect but I know people of all ethnicities who are good and simply trying to survive in this cold world.

Looking at the history of this country and all the examples provided since you've been born. I'm confused as to how you couldn't believe how childish this country is. Has nothing to do with being perfect or how far away or close to it this country is. Nor does it have to do with how well some are doing in this country.

Just trying get to an understanding.

 

[rapmusic]

Shit still going on while Josh Brown and Ryan Lochte are eating. Hope everyone is proud. The NFL already said Kap has the right to do it so why is this shit still going? Josh Brown done signed another contract and everybody's quiet but watch what happens if Greg Hardy signs with a team. Fuck this shit man.