We’re all well aware of the movement started last year by Colin Kaepernick, kneeling during the national anthem in silent protest of social injustice and oppression. Many others have followed his lead, including NFL players and athletes from other sports. They’ve all been both praised and vilified for their decision, but more seem to have joined the movement in their own individual ways.
Well today we learned of a pee wee football team that also took a knee during the national anthem, an act which served as a lesson to the young, impressionable young athletes.
The Cahokia Quarterback Club football team from Illinois, which consists of players eight years old and younger, decided to take a knee during the national anthem before their game this past Sunday. But this was about more than just simply imitating Kap; this was about the real life images they’re seeing.
Coach Orlando Gooden was asked by one of the kids on the team about the protests and violence in St. Louis in response to the verdict in the Jason Stockley trial.
One of the kids asked me if I saw (people) protesting and rioting in St. Louis. I said yes; I said, Do you know why they are doing it?’
Coach Gooden said his player responded, “Because black people are getting killed and nobody’s going to jail.
Gooden told Fox 2 St. Louis that the kids knew about the Stockley case, so he realized that this was a perfect opportunity to teach about the issues plaguing our society, why Kap took a knee and why he let them do the same respectfully.
I felt like it was a good teaching moment for me to circle the team and have a meeting, he said.
