U.S Olympian Gwen Berry received a severe backlash, especially from the Republican lawmakers, after turning away from U.S flag during the anthem. She also flaunted her T-shirt that had ‘Activist Athlete’ written on it, to which Rep. Dan Crenshaw reacted by saying “We don’t need anymore activist athletes. She should be removed from the team”.
According to Berry, the playing of anthem at that particular time was a set up, she stated that the anthem was supposed to be played before the athletes walked out. However, the act caught attention, and gave way to propaganda.
Media also highlights the fact that this was not the first time that Berry expressed her protest, she rather owns a history of activism. But her history of activism has a lot to do with USA’s black and white history. Like all other nations of the world, USA also went through an era of darkness, the shadows of which still remain in the form of heavy clouds, which turn into heavy rain periodically.
Four centuries back, when American Continent was a colony of the Europeans, Africans were introduced as free labor and were meant to serve their colonial masters. They were kind of a by-product of European trade cycle. Eventually when they proved to be beneficial in the context of labor, ships loaded with African slaves were brought to the American Continent. Many died on the way, and those who survived, just survived to experience what death tastes like, every day!
Slowly and gradually, the people residing in American Continent, predominantly the British people who came from Great Britain to settle in this newly discovered piece of land, became rebellious. They demanded more rights and more voice. Slogans like “no taxation without representation” became famous. Ideas of democracy were proliferating and people were demanding liberty and freedom from colonial rule.
Eventually after a series of events American War of Independence was fought, after which today’s super power came into existence. But, this revolution exposed something very contradictory. American’s commitment to liberty of the whites and their commitment to slavery of the blacks. And it turned out that enslaving the black people was the best way to ensure liberty for white people. One of the ironies of American Revolution was that Americans were fighting for both, i.e to secure freedom for themselves and to preserve slavery for their black population.
The American Africans were not even given the status of complete citizens initially. USA was then gradually divided between free states and slave states, i.e states who were in favour of eliminating slavery as an institution and vice versa. Unlike northern states, the southern states did not give up on the institution of slavery. A civil war was fought between the two set of states over the issue of slavery.
History also tells how African Americans have always been subject to discrimination, legally. Constitutional laws like “equal but separate” have been a part of American history. African Americans were given access to schools, colleges, libraries, they were allowed to travel on bus, train, they could spend time on beaches, but separately. Yes, EQUAL BUT SEPARATE meant there were different schools, colleges and libraries for blacks. And the blacks were not allowed to occupy the white space. They could not get their children admitted to schools and colleges where white children were studying. Buses and trains had separate seats for blacks and they were not allowed to sit on a seat that was meant for a white passenger. And this rule applied everywhere, in all sectors.
Blacks protested. Blacks struggled. Blacks tried hard to assimilate in the society. But, till date, blacks have failed to do so. And no doubt Berry was heard saying in her statement that “But I don’t really want to talk about the anthem because thats not important. The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has”.
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