By Andrew Wyshner, Staff Writer ’18

When Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, first sat for the National Anthem three months ago he sparked a national conversation. As his protests continued, he began to kneel for the anthem, and players across the league joined him in his protest. Over 15 other players have joined his protest either by raising their fists or kneeling during the National Anthem. Now, Brandon Marshall, who joined Kaepernick’s movement in early September, announced he will end his protest and stand for the National Anthem from now on.

Marshall took to Instagram on November 6 and announced that he will begin standing again, saying “Going forward, I will be standing for the National Anthem—not because everything is perfect, or because I’m changing my stance on things. But because of my hope for what we can become.” Marshall made it clear that his decision to stand did not mean he is ending his continued support for organizations, such as the Idriss Stelley Foundation, which attempt to ameliorate the problems he protested. Marshall feels encouraged that progress has been made, citing that his decision to take a stand through taking a knee has led to “many productive discussions.” Furthermore, he is pleased that the Denver Police Department has chosen to review its use of force policy. He ended his comments on his decision with an optimistic view towards the future, writing, “I really appreciate the support from my family, teammates, coaches and fans. I’m grateful for those who have taken the time to hear me out. I’m excited for what all of us can accomplish when we truly work together.” It is refreshing to see that Marshall believes progress has been made and America is making changes for the better, in the eyes of African-American protestors. If the goal of Kaepernick and his followers was to start a discussion regarding the alleged inequality in the United States, then it appears that they have been successful, as this demonstration has been the talk of the nation for quite some time.

The conclusion of Marshall’s protest elicited some responses from students here at Newark Academy. Regarding the protest as a whole, Danny Laks ’19 said, “in certain cases—such as holidays—players should stand not for themselves, but for the people who sacrificed for them.” He then went onto discuss Marshall saying his decision to stand for the anthem is a good thing. One common argument against the protests has been that sitting or kneeling for the National Anthem is disrespectful and ungrateful towards the military personnel who have given their lives to protect the freedoms of everyone in the nation. An anonymous sophomore claimed that he now elects to stand because, “he’s realized that nothing amounted from the protest;” however, this point goes directly against what Marshall claimed. Amanda Cohen took a different approach to his decision, saying “it is responsible and respectful that he has agreed to stand for the National Anthem as a sign of respect for his team members and those who fight to protect this country.” Yet, Julia Tarnow ’17 finds it odd that he is ending his protest considering that Marshall believes he is seeing change as a result, “If you have that much attention why not use it to keep that momentum going to make real change.” There are many different perspectives within the Newark Academy community on the decision of Marshall to stand again and the reasoning behind his decision to conclude his protest.

This saga has received both positive and negative reactions from people across the nation, and the debate also pervades our school community as well. Marshall’s decision to end his protest is yet another major event in the timeline of the National Anthem protests which began in mid-August, and is sure to have more interesting twists and turns over the coming weeks and months. One thing is for sure: the demonstrations of NFL players have created tension and started a discussion within the nation as a whole.