Olympian John Carlos supports NFL protest movement
Olympian John Carlos, one of the two men that made the “Black Power” pose famous on the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, voiced his support for the recent protests by NFL players during the national anthem before football games, according to the Kansas City Star.
Since the preseason, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has decided not to stand for the national anthem in protest of racial inequalities and injustices taking place in America, including police-related violence.
On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs stood in solidarity with their arms locked as cornerback Marcus Peters stood at the end with his arm extended with a fist in the air. The fist drew comparisons to Carlos's pose.
“We’re here for the duration; we’re not going away. …What you see today is the fruit of our labor,” Carlos said. “It’s not about white and black or rich and poor. It’s about right and wrong.”
• Players across NFL protest during national anthem
Peters told the Star that he did not have any bad intentions with his pose.
“I was just stating how I’m black, and I love being black, (and) I’m supporting Colin in what he’s doing as far as raising awareness with the justice system,” Peters said. “But I didn’t mean anything (bad) by it.”
The Chiefs trailed Sunday's game by 21 points but managed to come back for the 33–27 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
