Serena Williams Says Athletes Should Be 'Grateful' to Players Spearheading NFL Protests
When Serena Williams competed against her sister Venus Williams at the 2018 U.S. Open on Friday, she had some special fans in the stands: former San Francisco 49ers teammates Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid, who are known for spearheading protests in the NFL against police brutality and racial inequality. Although she didn't know they were at the match as she played (ultimately defeating Venus), she candidly shared her support of the football players' protests during a post-match news conference.
“I think every athlete, every human, and definitely every African American should be completely grateful and honored how Colin and Eric are doing so much more for the greater good, so to say,” Serena said in the news conference. "They really use their platform in ways that is really unfathomable. I feel like they obviously have great respect from a lot of their peers, especially other athletes, people that really are looking for social change.”
Kaepernick and Reid have both made headlines for refusing to stand up during the national anthem at games, famously taking a knee instead as a way to highlight violence against black communities. Although many athletes have kneeled in solidarity with them, their efforts have drawn criticism from politicians such as President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked their symbolic protest. "Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” Trump said at a rally in Alabama last year.
Kaepernick and Reid are no longer with the NFL: Kaepernick opted out of his contract in 2017, and Reid did not get signed in the 2017 offseason. According to USA Today, they have since filed a grievance against the NFL that alleges the league purposefully didn't sign them because of their protests.
This isn't the first time Williams has spoken out against police brutality: Back in 2016, she wrote a lengthy Facebook post in which she reflected on how she became nervous when she spotted a police car while her 18-year-old nephew was driving. Since then, Williams has continued drawing attention to police brutality as a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement—and used her own platform to start and continue important conversations. Recently, she's been outspoken about her scary experience giving birth—a serious topic, given how delivery complications disproportionately affect African American women. Williams' on-the-record support of Kaepernick and Reid after the match reaffirms her dedication to using her platform to shine the light on important social conversations—as well as shows her solidarity with other athletes who bravely risk speaking out.
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