Jayapal Stands in Solidarity with the Seattle Seahawks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal spoke on the House floor today in support of the Seattle Seahawks and their decision to protest racial injustice during the national anthem before Sunday’s NFL game against the Tennessee Titans.

Full remarks below, video available here.

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank my home team, the Seattle Seahawks, for joining nearly 200 NFL players across the country who exercised their First Amendment right to protest during the national anthem. I fully support their right to do so. These players used their platform to draw attention to the racial and social injustices of our time, and to condemn racism and divisive rhetoric coming from President Trump.

“Athletes practice unity in a way that few others do: coming from every walk of life and pulling together to model unity every single game.

“Let us be very clear. These protests are not about disrespecting the flag or our country’s brave men and women in uniform. They are about the oppression of people of color, the number of black men gunned down by police and the school-to-prison pipeline. These protests are about speaking out about unacceptable behavior and rhetoric, and fighting for justice.

“I thank our players and Seahawks for addressing these issues with unity, compassion and truth. And I thank Colin Kaepernick for starting this important conversation.”

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Issues: Civil Rights