Before the Kansas City Chiefs began their Super Bowl defense Thursday night against the Houston Texans in the first game of the 2020 NFL season, there was a question for both teams: How would they protest against racism in America? The Texans left the field entirely before both the national anthem and the playing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song sometimes referred to as the Black national anthem. Their demonstration echoed a tense weekend in 2017, when several teams stayed in the locker room after President Trump used a speech to criticize players who kneel during the anthem. The Chiefs stayed on the field, where one player took a knee and raised a fist during the anthem. When the Texans returned to the field, both teams lined up and linked arms before the coin toss.

Source: Wall Street Journal September 11, 2020 01:52 UTC