old-heroes-pre-2016

American Heroes
Pre-2016 National Anthem Protests Against Racism

Protest Date
Source

October 16, 1968
NYtimes.com
SI.com
1968 Olympic Games
Mexico City, Mexico

• Raised fist while wearing a black glove during the national anthem at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City to protest racism in America.
• The United States Olympic Committee suspended Carlos and Smith from the United States Olympic Team, purportedly at the behest of the International Olympic Committee.
• The U.S.O.C. issued a statement of its “profound regrets” to the I.O.C., the Mexican Olympic organizing committee, and the Mexican people, calling the national anthem protest discourteous, “untypical exhibitionism” and “immature.”
• The U.S.O.C. went on to threaten “the imposition of the severest penalties at the disposal of the United States Olympic Committee” should any other Olympic athlete deign to follow suit. This warning was read directly to three other Olympic athletes whom U.S.O.C. heard were “black power advocates.”
• Carlos and Smith were subjected to extensive backlash for their protest, including death threats to them and their families, racial slurs, and being ostracized upon return to the United States.

December 1968
Newspapers.com (The Los Angeles Times)
San Jose State University

• Raised their fists during the national anthem in protest of racism in America.
• Black athletes at schools throughout the country, including both San Jose State and Fresno State, refused to play for their teams in solidarity with Black football players who’d had their scholarships revoked when they protested playing Brigham Young University due to Mormon racism.

1970
Archives.chicagotribune.com
Northern Illinois University

• Remained seated, with some also raising a fist, during the national anthem in protest of racism in America. Some also began singing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
• The following season in 1971, Richard J. Nelson, NIU president, banned the playing of the national anthem at basketball games. This prompted intense backlash across Illinois, including criticism from then Governor Richard B. Ogilvie, anger from within the NIU community, and angry letters to the editor.
• The national anthem was reinstated at a game against Indiana University on January 4, 1972, prompting some to walk out, while others remained seated during the song’s playing.

January 13, 1971
Newspapers.com (Albuquerque Journal)
Florida State University

• Refused to stand for the national anthem.
• As a result, the coach requested that the national anthem be played while the team was in the locker room.

October 16, 1971
Newspapers.com
(The Daily Herald)
University of Wyoming

• Remained seated during the national anthem.
• This protest took place on the second anniversary of the football game against Brigham Young University in which 14 University of Wyoming players were removed from the team by coach Lloyd Eaton because of the players’ intent to protest Mormon racism.

December 1971
Newspaper.com (Lincoln Evening Journal)
Creighton University

• Remained seated or left the floor during the during the national anthem to protest racism in America.
• A student spokesman stated that the protest during the national anthem was “against the fact that those things the flag is supposed to stand for are not true in America for blacks.”
• After two games of leaving the floor during the national anthem, Creighton University vice president Thomas Burke informed the cheerleaders, that they had to either remain on the floor during the national anthem or resign/face suspension from the team. Six of the eleven cheerleaders decided to resign, and their “Yell Squad” was disbanded.
• The cheerleading team was reinstated in 1973.

September 7, 1972
Newspapers.com (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
1972 Olympic Games
Munich, Germany

• Deliberately did not stand at attention during the national anthem in protest of racism in America.
• Collett noted that he could not with a clear conscience stand at attention and sing words that were not true; that American has not lived up to its promise, and because the words in the national anthem were not being applied to the nation’s Black citizens. 
• The International Olympic Committee barred Collett and Matthews, the silver and gold medal winners in the 400m, from participating in any more Olympic events, calling their actions a “disgusting display.” This ban included the 4x400m relay in which the United States were gold medal favorites.

June 1978
Newspaper.com
(The Pantagraph)
Dunbar High School

• Refused to sing the national anthem in protest of racism in America.
• While at graduation practice, Faison did not sing the anthem because he felt it “[did] not concern the Black people.” Consequently, Faison was precluded from participating in his high school graduation ceremony, for which he brought suit in federal district court.

1985
Los Angeles High School
LAtimes.com

• Turned his back to the flag during the national anthem in protest of racism in America.
• Williams stated that he protested because “It’s not true — ‘One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ We all know it’s not liberty and justice for so many people in America. It’s not an even playing field. So if I were to do that, I would be cheating myself. I just cannot do it. I would die before I salute the flag to America.”
• Williams was fired as a result of his protest, but was reinstated.

1995-1996
Denver Nuggets, National Basketball Association
Articles.LAtimes.com

• Refused to stand for the national anthem in the exercise of his religious beliefs, and in protest of racism in America.
• Abdul-Rauf stated that his religious beliefs as a Muslim precluded participation nationalistic acts such as standing for the national anthem. Abdul-Rauf also refused to stand in protest of racism in America, calling the flag a symbol of oppression and tyranny, stating “I look at the Caucasian American and I look at the African American being oppressed in this country and I don’t stand for that.”
• The applicable National Basketball Association rule required all players “to stand and line up in a dignified posture . . . during the playing of the American and/or Canadian national anthems.”
• After local talk radio shows learned of Abdul-Rauf’s protest, and the issue gained national attention, the NBA suspended Abdul-Rauf on March 12, 1996. He stood to lose over $31,707 per game if he continued in his refusal to stand for the national anthem.
• After initially appearing to be prepared to maintain his protest for the remainder of the season, three days later on March 15, 1996, Abdul-Rauf reached an agreement with the NBA wherein he would stand during the national anthem with his hands in a praying posture.

February 23, 2003
NYtimes.com
Manhatanville College

• Turned back to the American flag during the national anthem in protest of inequities in America.

~2011
Theundefeated.com
Golden State Warriors
(NBA)

• Stood behind teammates during the national anthem.
• Has engaged in a national anthem protest against racism for several years.