On Sunday, Oct. 15, 11 NFL players from three different teams protested during the national anthem.
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (J.U.M.P. Nation) and the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at Binghamton University came together to present “You Can’t Protest If You’re Black,” a conversation on activism for people of color, the backlash NFL players have received for kneeling during the national anthem and the systematic oppression of African Americans.
The title of the event came from a quote by Trevor Noah, the host of “The Daily Show,” who spoke out against this backlash on a recent episode.
Protesting of the national anthem during NFL games began when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat and later kneeled during the duration of the national anthem last year. This form of protest gained popularity in September 2017, when approximately 200 players kneeled in response to President Donald Trump’s comments on firing kneeling players.
Brittney Anderson, a member of the J.U.M.P. Nation fundraising committee and a sophomore majoring in accounting, facilitated the event. J.U.M.P. Nation is a mentorship program in which Binghamton University students connect with minority eighth-grade students from the greater Binghamton area and New York City. It culminates in a four-day trip to campus for the eighth-graders, consisting of numerous forums and workshops.
Anderson said it’s important to discuss how the issues being raised by NFL players relate to the disadvantaged children in the program.
“We always address key issues that are going on and this is a big issue, especially with the children we are working with … there are a lot of children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds who face the issues of police brutality,” Anderson said.
Throughout the discussion, many students discussed their frustration with Trump and how his rhetoric has shifted the conversation from focusing on the condition of black lives to a rhetoric focused on disrespecting the flag.
Destiny Ware, an undeclared freshman, said she believes too many people are focusing on the smaller details, while they should be focusing on the bigger issues at hand.
“When people try to invalidate what we are saying by saying that he is disrespecting veterans, that isn’t the point,” Ware said. “You aren’t looking at the bigger picture. You are only focusing on the smaller details. At the end of the day, it ties down to ignorance and a lack of accountability.”
Jerry Toussaint, the chapter treasurer of Kappa Alpha Psi and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said it was important to co-host the event since Kaepernick was a member of the same fraternity as a student at the University of Nevada, Reno.
“In light of what is going on, we viewed it as a perfect opportunity to have a discussion with the community about some of the recent events that have happened,” Toussaint said.
Many students discussed the validity of the concerns raised by the kneeling of NFL players during the national anthem. A common sentiment expressed was that NFL players have every right to protest and that the protests serve as a reminder that the issues being addressed prove J.U.M.P. Nation’s mission continues to be relevant 26 years after the organization’s founding.
Travis Allen, a member of the mentoring committee of J.U.M.P. Nation and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said he believes it is important to be informed about current events so the organization can better prepare their proteges.
“It’s important we teach our youth the ways they can be successful, despite the challenges that lie ahead of them, and to teach them to overcome these barriers as minority children,” Allen said.