Taking the knee

For other uses, see Taking a knee (disambiguation). For the gesture in other contexts, see Genuflection.

Washington Commanders players kneeling before a game against the Oakland Raiders in September 2017

Taking the knee (or taking a knee) is a symbolic gesture against racism whereby an individual kneels upon one knee in place of standing to attention for an anthem or other such occasion. It was originated by American football player Colin Kaepernick on September 1, 2016, in protest against the lack of attention given to the issues of racial inequality and police brutality in the United States. Kaepernick's protest led to a wider series of national anthem protests.[1] It has since been adopted by sports players in countries around the world, including association football in the United Kingdom, in solidarity with Kaepernick's protest against racism, and has been seen worldwide in non-sporting contexts such as the Black Lives Matter protests.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b "Black Lives Matter: Where does 'taking a knee' come from?". BBC News. June 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "What's taking the knee and why was it an issue at Euro 2020?". BBC News. July 13, 2021.