Since the death of George Floyd the nation has been awakened by the constant protests of people that have had enough of the sinful nature of this country. Racism is the evil sibling that has been invited to the family cookout that nobody of power or influence wants to kick out.
All of a sudden the NFL and other major corporations are saying the right things but it’s literally time for them to start doing more than they’re saying. Sources close the league announced on Thursday that the league plans to play live or on recording “Lift Every Voice and Sing” which is known as the Black National Anthem at every NFL game Week 1. The song will be played before the “Star Spangled Banner.”
That all sounds good but it’s pandering at best and it’s insulting. Unless states are going to get serious about passing police reform legislation it’s all a waste of time. The NFL is going to allow the singing of “Left Every Voice and Sing” and then immediately after that allow folks to sing a song about killing runaway slaves fighting against America with the British.
Let me put it where the goats can get it. Francis Scott Key, the guy that wrote the Star Spangled Banner was a key advisor to Andrew Jackson a wealthy slaveowner himself. Key was a strong advocate of slavery as he helped to shape the supreme court which stood strongly for the institution of slavery.
During the war of 1812 many blacks escaped slavery to help fight against America to become free people. They were called the Colonial Marines. In August of 1814 they were part of the British troops that attacked Americans outside of Washington, DC and drove them back into the city, setting the White House on fire. Guess who was a witness to this foolishness, Francis Scott Key.
So he wrote the Star Spangled Banner and the third verse is dedicated to that incident and the killing of the Colonial Marines. It reads
“And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out of of their foul footsteps’ pollution
No refuge could save the hireling and slave’
From the terror of flight and the gloom of the grave”
So to sing the Black National Anthem, then turn around and sing the Star Spangled Banner is actually an insult to black folks in this country. They are polar opposites. One sings of hope of being free in America and the other sings of killing the very folks who are fighting for real freedom in America. I say don’t sing either one of them and put your money where your mouth is.
With all of these major corporations spending big money on ad campaigns to say that they are with Black Lives Matter and racial equality we’ve yet to see the results of change. We’ve only seen 3 states pass police reform bills since the killing of George Floyd. Those three are New York, Iowa and Colorado.
So until we start to see some real change in policing in America with holding all police accountable it’s all garbage. Until companies start to take a real look at becoming more diverse and actually putting policies in place to do so, its talk.
If these black players start to boycott these games then we’ll see boyz passing reform bills at an alarming rate. If the brothers aren’t playing the most popular sport in the country all of the ancillary cats will start to lose money. When the economy is hit then and only then will people start to listen and change their behavior. Ask the duns down at the Montgomery Public Transit Company how it tasted in 1955?
Nobody’s watching the NFL or the NBA without the black athlete. NOBODY! Therefore, the television revenue tanks, the ancillary revenue locally tanks as well. The hotels, bars and restaurants fall apart without the black player.
This country has always been dependent upon black folks to sustain its economy. In 1619 when the first 20 slaves landed in the British colony known as Jamestown, Virginia. It sat in motion 401 years of brutality towards black people in America. Singing the Back Anthem before a stupid football game doesn’t help to fix a darn thing. We want to see policy change in America at all levels to even the playing field in this country. And you can start with the 40 acres and a mule our ancestors were promised with interest thank you. Stop me when I start lyin’!