Clemson and Louisiana State University played this past Monday (January 13) for the national championship in college football. If you were one of the millions of people like me who did not watch the game (I was working), you might have missed a wonderful bit of silent protest against the current occupant of the White House. You know, they guy who showed up at Mercedes Benz Stadium to what was described as thunderous applause...or at least according to my FB news feed.
That protest came from one Kelly Holstine, who was in attendance along with numerous other state Teacher of the Year awardees from across the nation. Holstine, who was an English teacher at Tokata Learning Center in Shakopee (MN) — and now works as director of educational equity at the LGBTQ advocacy group, OutFront Minnesota — was one of two teachers who declined an invitation to visit the White House in 2019. Holstine took a knee during the playing of the National Anthem at the game.
Holstine had considered merely not putting her hand over her heart, but determined that wasn't enough of a visible message. (Indeed, neither Trump nor Melania put their hand on their heart, though that may have been a subtle protest against knowing what is happening.)
Instead, after consulting with her wife and other teachers at the game, Holstine decided to follow the lead of Colin Kaepernick and take a knee in silent protest.
Uncharacteristically, the White House did not comment on the action.
As noted by the Washington Post:
Holstine said she told some of her teaching colleagues that she planned to kneel during the anthem and asked whether they wanted to participate. Nobody else did, she said, “but they all understood why I was doing it and were supportive.”
When asked the reasonable question of “why” she took this action, Holstine to The Hill:
“I think that the current environment that is being created and has been created in his tenure definitely adds to my feelings of wanting to support individuals who are not being supported,” she said. “I really feel like our country is not serving the needs of all its inhabitants … so many humans right now that are not being given the respect and the rights that they deserve.”
While so much attention was, understandably, put on the game itself and also actor Vince Vaughn yukking it up with President Trump, I’ll take Ms. Holstine doing her best to bring a measure of humanity and protest to the moment.