SACRAMENTO, California – The California chapter of the NAACP is pushing to get rid of national anthemcalling the song racist and anti-black, reports CBS KOVR-TV.
“This song is wrong,” chapter president Alice Huffman told the station. “He should never have been there, and just like we didn’t have him until 1931, he won’t kill us if he leaves.”
As a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick began NFL protests during the anthem that quickly spread to draw attention to racial injustice in the country. But Huffman said Kaepernick’s message was lost when it became a debate over the flag.
“Real intentions were overlooked, and it’s become something that divides us, and I’m looking for a way to reunite,” he said.
Huffman said the protests led her to look at the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” especially parts of the anthem that Americans don’t normally sing.
“It’s racist,” he said. “They don’t represent our community. They are anti-black people.”
Huffman refers to the third stanza, which includes the lyrics “no refuge could save the mercenary and the slave from the terror of flight or the darkness of the grave.”
Nate Boyer, Colin Kaepernick and a national anthem engagement
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He said some interpretations conclude that the lyrics celebrate the death of black American slaves fighting for freedom and that the song should be replaced with something that supports all of our values.
The patrons of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in West Sacramento disagreed.
“This is an extreme way of doing things,” said Kenneth Lu, a veteran who lives in Davis.
“I think it’s a slap in the face,” Sydney Lugo said. “If there’s any kind of small flaw in the context of what this is, I don’t see it that way. I have to stick with our traditions and our values and what we stand for.”
The NFL and the players’ union are discussing the anthem protests
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“It won’t solve any problems,” said veteran John Cox.
Huffman said it may not solve anything, but it is a step toward social justice that he said needs a long time.
“This country is a country that has shared values, and the more we respect each other, the better off we will be as a country,” he said.
A separate resolution from the California NAACP calls on Congress to censure the president Trump for his comments on the dismissal of those who do not defend the anthem.
The organization is seeking legislative sponsors for these resolutions.
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- Colin Kaepernick
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