Is Kneeling for the national anthem the right time and place?

Around the world of athletics, we are seeing people kneel and presumably pray, rather than standing at attention, hands over their hearts, during the national anthem. They are protesting racial injustice.

At best, the national anthem is a celebration of the brave spirit of those who defended Fort McHenry, and thus the American government, from British attack.  At worst, the national anthem is an automated ritual that most people don't think about, and that is often intertwined with specific political agendas.

So, I have been thinking recently about the folks who believe that American has racial injustice and police brutality, and are making the point by kneeling during the national anthem.

The people who believe this already believe it. Therefore, the message of the athletes is presumably aimed at people who do NOT believe that there is racial injustice, or at least haven't thought about it much.

In marketing communications, we teach that a persuasive message should be crafted such that it receives the most positive response from its audience.  Part of this means understanding the audience well, so you KNOW what will cause them to respond positively.  Part of it means deliberately keeping elements out of the message which might cause people to react negatively.

In addition, while I completely support the right of the athletes to their free speech, I think that it is a valid expectation that we exercise our free speech on our own time, not on-the-clock with our employer or volunteer organization we represent, etc.  When we are being paid by an employer or in a volunteer capacity for a non-profit organization, ethics requires us to represent the best interests of that employer or organization.

When we are off-the-clock, we can fully exercise our right to free speech, making clear that we are speaking for ourselves.  This is particularly important for professional athletes and other celebrities who are closely associated in the minds of the public with a team, business, or organization.

So what about the fundamental message of the athletes?

I agree that there are big problems of racial injustice and inequality in the United States.  A lot of the rhetoric about these issues is based on logical fallacies.  We need to address the problems, but the way democracies make ground-breaking changes in social policy is political and messy and usually takes a lot longer than advocates wish.

It is important that advocates for social change avoid negative perceptions related to their causes that distract from the real message.

Therefore, my advice to the athletes is that the beginning of a football game, in the uniform of their employer or school, is not the right venue for their personal messages about the need for change in social policy, regardless of how valid the fundamental message is.