by Dean Tan ’18, Editor in Chief

“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the national anthem.”

It used to be a phrase said before every national anthem, no debate. Now, it’s one of the most contentious statements in America. Beginning in August 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began sitting and then kneeling for the national anthem instead of standing, a traditional sign of respect. As Kaepernick’s actions drew a variety of responses, the movement began to grow and now encompasses all of professional sports and is a prevalent topic of discussion on the national stage. Despite some who may argue that the act of kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful towards our country, kneeling is a form of peaceful free speech and should be tolerated and protected under the First Amendment, even if during the national anthem.

The key part of kneeling here is intention: it is important to understand that when protesters kneel during the anthem, they aren’t kneeling to disrespect veterans and those who served our country. This misinterpretation stems mainly from American culture; from a young age, we’ve been taught that standing for the national anthem serves to honor those who served us and respect those who have given their lives to our country. But the truth is the national anthem is more than just that; it also represents the ideals of freedom that America is founded on, that all men are created equal, that we have a right to be treated the same way regardless of our race, gender, sexuality, age or other factors. And it is this part of the anthem that protesters kneel to argue against; they kneel not only because they feel as if the current state of America does not uphold these core values, but also to bring attention to the injustices their communities face everyday.

And in fact, it has actually been successful; kneeling has brought the messages and goals of the Black Lives Matter movement to millions of Americans. It has sparked lots of dialogue among our communities about the issues concerning the unfair treatment of African Americans and how we as Americans can protest it.

The controversy over kneeling at Newark Academy understandably sparked from the pep rally, during which several teachers and an administrator knelt as the national anthem was being performed. Some students and teachers were uncomfortable and even outraged at the act of kneeling during an ostensibly unifying school spirit event. On the other hand, others expressed support for those who chose to kneel and defended the right to do so at the pep rally. In a statement to the student body during morning meeting, Mr. Austin clarified the administrative position that teachers and administrators should “strive to remain politically neutral in class and at school events.” At the same time, the general attitude at Newark Academy has been to teach, speak, respond to, and fight for the causes you believe in, including political ones.

Elliott Zornitsky ‘18 shared some of his thoughts on the topic, noting several issues he found both with the act of kneeling and the administration’s response to it. With such a public display of a politically charged gesture, it was apparent that a reaction – positive or negative – was going to occur. On top of that, it can seem that certain teachers or administrators kneeling can speak on behalf of the entire school. However, the goal of kneeling is to express solidarity with minorities and the unfair suffering they face. It’s important to note that associating kneeling with liberalism and being anti-Trump is problematic, since the issue is nuanced and complex.

We reached out to several of the teachers who were among those kneeling during the national anthem at the pep rally, but all politely declined our requests for an interview The act of kneeling has come to the point where the message behind the protest has become lost. Kneeling during the national anthem has by no question brought these issues to the forefront of ongoing discussion, but the conversation has shifted from the actual issues being protested to whether it’s disrespectful to the flag and the troops.

The potentially contradictory stances of the official administration policy and the philosophy of individual expression we embrace have raised the question: how can we as a school engage with political issues in a productive way? Here at Newark Academy, students are free to explore their own intellectual and political ideas, and teachers enable their individual exploration of potentially divisive issues through research and consideration of different views. That being said, the political views of our faculty members span a wide spectrum, yet are asked and have agreed to not take sides. Our country, and our school, are facing increasingly controversial political and social questions, and now more than ever it’s important to respectfully and constructively approach these questions through informed discussion. In an environment where the way an action is perceived often outweighs the way it was intended, it’s essential to kneel only if you know what you’re kneeling for.