Countless times before the first whistle or start of a game, we've seen football stars and athletes all over the world kneel just before kick off. In this article i will try to explain what it means to take a knee and how it started in football.
What does it mean to "take a knee"
Taking a knee is a gesture where an individual kneels down upon one knee instead of standing on attention to recite the national anthem or any other occasion. Most times players do this act just before kick off or start of a game, They do this to promote a message of anti- racism.
Historically, Kneeling has been a way to sliently show solidarity in support of human right and political abuse. Since Footballers and athletes are expected to be neutral and stick to sports "taking a knee" gives them the opportunity to stand join the rest of the world in a fight against racism and injustice.
The act of kneeling can be traced back to the civil right movement in the United States, where the likes of Martin Luther King and other activist. Kneeled after a prayer when a group of protesters where arrested during a march to the Dallas County Alabama courthouse on February 1, 1965.
Many are "more dedicated to order than to justice, "offended by kneeling during the Anthem & not by racism & modern-day lynching. #TakeAKnee pic.twitter.com/E23oM1ZW6X
— The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center (@TheKingCenter)
How and where did taking a Knee start in sports.
The first instance of a high profile Sport star taking a knee, happened in August, 2016. When former San Francisco 49ners quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat down instead of standing during the signing of the national anthem before the start of a game in order to silently protest against racism and police brutality across the united state. He went ahead to take a knee in a couple of games but in June 2020, following the social unrest as a result of Gorge Floyd's at the hands of a police officers, Sports stars began to take the knee as a
Taking a Knee in Football
The first ever football player to take a knee was U. S national team star Megan Rapinoe. She did this to silently protest against racial inequality and follow in the footsteps of Kaepernick. The midfielder took a knee during the national anthem before a NWSL match between the Chicago red stars and Seattle Reign in September 2016.
In the UK taking a knee became associated with football players when Football stars and officials started to take the knee to highlight racial inequality within the game and to support the black live matter movement. In the premier league player's names where replaced with the black life matter for the first 12 matches if the restarted season with so many players showing solidarity by kneeling before the first whistle.
Defender Alexandra Arnold went on to speak out against racism, vocalising his detaste for it.
" Meaningful Change" to fight racism as he declared that the system is broken.