Music legend Stevie Wonder knelt down on stage at the Global Citizen Festival in New York on Saturday. Wonder mirrored the peaceful protests of athletes across the US who oppose white supremacy and police brutality.
On Friday, Trump criticized NFL players for refusing to take a knee during the national anthem. On Saturday, Trump took on Twitter to offensively addressed athletes regarding the same issue. Fans and players took on Twitter to criticize Trump’s comments.
Taking both knees ‘for America’
Stevie Wonder opened his Global Citizen fest performance Saturday by “taking both knees” in solidarity with athletes’ protests in the aftermath of Donald Trump‘s most recent remarks.
“Tonight, I’m taking a knee for America,” Wonder said as he took the stage.
“But not just one knee, I’m taking both knees. Both knees in prayer for our planet, our future, our leaders of the world and our globe.”
Wonder then kneeled with his son Kwame Morris by his side in front of thousands in the Central Park crowd.
At Global Citizen, Wonder spoke about the importance of the organization’s goals.
“All of us are valuable and important and must take care of each other and this planet,” Wonder said. “If we don’t, we could lose the ultimate video game of life.”
“Losing sight that weapons are real and rhetoric is dangerous. Whether it be a superpower in North America or a superpower in North Korea.”
“Our global brothers and sisters, I didn’t come here to preach, but I’m telling you: Our spirits must be in the right place…,” Wonder continued.
“Whenever you need to interrupt hate, stand down bigotry, condemn sexism and find love for all of our global brothers and sisters every day.”
During the event, Wonder also spoke about interrupting hate, bigotry and condemning sexism.
The performance also included appearances from several of his children and closed out with a guest appearance from Pharrell Williams.
Wonder teamed up with Pharrell Williams for a trio of songs, including ‘Happy,’ ‘Superstition’ and Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky,’ which Wonder previously performed alongside Williams and the French duo at the 2014 Grammys.
Trump comments against athletes
Trump criticized some in the NFL on Friday night at a rally in Alabama. He says team owners should fire players for taking a knee during the national anthem.
His remarks appeared to refer to Colin Kaepernick, formerly with the San Francisco 49ers, but currently without a team.
During his 2016-17 season, Kaepernick took a knee in protest of the National Anthem, later opting out of his contract renewal with the 49ers and has yet to be signed to another team.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said last year.
His protest spurred both support and backlash.
Trump is responding a year later. Saying if fans would “leave the stadium” when players kneel in protest during the national anthem, “I guarantee, things will stop.”
Trump said NFL owners should respond to the players by saying, “Get that son of a b***h off the field right now, he’s fired. He’s fired!”
“For a week, (that owner would) be the most popular person in this country. Because that’s a total disrespect of our heritage. That’s a total disrespect for everything we stand for,” Trump said.
Trump also took aim at NFL efforts to prevent concussions. “They’re ruining the game, right?” he said. “They’re ruining the game.”
Recently, Jay-Z dedicated his ‘4:44’ track ‘The Story of O.J.‘ to Kaepernick at his Meadows Festival performance in Queens, New York.
Athletes’ response to President’s comments
Saturday morning, Trump rescinded the Golden State Warriors’ invitation to the White House because of Stephen Curry’s reluctance to take part in the tradition. Athletes in both the NBA and the NFL then turned to social media to criticize Trump, who LeBron James called a “bum.”
Saturday night also witnessed Oakland A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell become the first major league baseball player to take part in an anthem protest. More are expected for Sunday’s NFL games.
Trump’s comments were immediately condemned: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that Trump’s comments were “divisive”; Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy called the president’s remarks “offensive”; and four-time NBA MVP Lebron James called Trump a “bum.”
The comments have come under harsh criticism from the NFL and some of the NBA’s top players, putting the President in the center of a controversy with significant racial and cultural undertones.
Source: Washington Post