Colin Kaepernick

Please stop saying the past is in the past. It isn’t.

by Perry Greene

Nike dropped its Air Max USA 1 shoe after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick worried that the “Betsy Ross” flag design harkens back to an era of black slavery and has been used by white nationalist groups. 

Is the Betsy Ross Flag Racist? Meaning, History and Symbolism Behind U.S.A.'s 13-Star Flag

An American flag featuring a 13-star circle was at the epicenter of controversy after Nike decided to stop the release of a sneaker featuring the symbol.

Nike Nixes ‘Betsy Ross Flag’ Sneaker After Colin Kaepernick Intervenes

Sneaker maker pulls Independence Day-themed shoe after NFL star raised concerns about symbolism

Protesting on Bended Knee: Race, Dissent and Patriotism in 21st Century America

by Eric Burin

This digital book is available for free download!

Would Frederick Douglass Take a Knee?

by Roy E. Finkenbine

What the answer to that question should tell us.

Conservatives’ self-delusion on race

by Joshua Tait

How the right created the illusion of colorblindness.

Battles over patriotism, Pledge of Allegiance in schools span a century

by Randall Curren and Charles Dorn

Seventy-five years ago, at the height of America’s involvement in World War II, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that guaranteed public school students’ right to refuse to stand in patriotic salute.

What’s Ironic About Trump’s Evangelical Support for His Campaign Against Kneeling Football Players

by Emma Long

In the 1950s, evangelicals defended the right of individuals to refuse to participate in an otherwise mandatory event on the grounds of their belief.

The NFL Told Teams to Stand During the National Anthem in the 1960s

Here's how one player protested.

The Forgotten Origins of Politics in Sports

by Kenneth Cohen

Black athletes didn’t “politicize” American sports. They’ve been a battleground from the very beginning.

Colin Kaepernick and the Legacy of the Negro National Anthem

by Brent Staples

The truth is that the maxims about freedom implied in the song describe a condition the country has yet to achieve. People who confront that reality by kneeling prayerfully on the football field are often more determinedly patriotic than those who reflexively stand.

How Should We Judge Unconventional Patriotic Citizens Like Snowden or Kaepernick?

by Fred Zilian

Here are five ways.

National Anthem Protests by Black Athletes Have a Long History

The protests by African-American athletes date back decades, often angering mostly white fans and officials.

What Citizenship Means Keeps Changing 

by Fred Zilian

Some of us just want red, white and blue patriots.

Before Trump vs. the NFL, there was Jackie Robinson vs. JFK

Jackie Robinson, the hero who integrated Major League Baseball in 1947, spoke out loudly for civil rights and challenged President John F. Kennedy to stop dithering on black equality. Unlike Trump, JFK sought to understand Robinson’s complaints.

Citizenship in America Today: What It Means in the Age of Edward Snowden, Colin Kaepernick, and Donald Trump

by Fred Zilian

Who's a hero now?

'Star-Spangled Banner' critics miss the point

by Mark Clague

"The Star-Spangled Banner" in no way glorifies or celebrates slavery.