A 10-year-old cub scout joined Colin Kaepernick's national movement protesting racism and police brutality by taking a knee.
During the Pledge of Allegiance at Durham, North Carolina's city hall on Monday, Liam Holmes, who is white, made a bold gesture against injustice in America, delivering his pledge on bended knee. His fellow cub scouts stood.
"What I did was took a knee against racial discrimination, which is basically when people are mean to other people of different colors,” Liam told WNCN.
According to ABC 11, Liam gave a lot of thought to taking the knee. He spoke to his father, Scott, about his reasons for wanting to participate in the protest before the city council meeting.
"When he did it, I was really surprised and also really proud of him,” Scott said.
Liam took a knee when his Boy Scout troup opened the City Council Meeting with the pledge of allegiance… pic.twitter.com/HpEZT5bUAG
— Scott Holmes (@CScottHolmes) February 5, 2019
Scott Holmes is an activist himself and also a civil rights attorney and professor at North Carolina Central University. The News Observer reports Scott has represented protesters arrested during Confederate monument protests in Durham and Chapel Hill.
The proud dad said he believes Liam took the knee for religious reasons in addition to protesting against racial inequality.
The Holmes family are Quakers. Taking oaths goes against the values set in the Quaker faith, and Liam initially wanted to honor his spiritual beliefs by not taking the pledge at all.
In talking about the pledge, the father and son began to discuss why Kaep and many others choose to take a knee during the pledge and national anthem.
"I told him that [taking a knee] is just an idea and he should do whatever he feels comfortable with," Scott added. "Because I know how it can feel weird, awkward to do something different than other folks."
Liam's timing was perfect. Just a day before, America gathered around TVs to watch this year's Super Bowl. As Blavity reported, many people and high-profile celebs like singer Rihanna decided to rally behind Kaep and boycott the big game.
For nearly two years, the former San Francisco 49ers QB has not been allowed to play in the league; he and his supporters believe this is because of his anti-police brutality stance and his vocal advocacy for social justice.
While Kaepernick has become a Nike spokesperson and focused on his philanthropy in the meantime, he still has a desire to score touchdowns in the NFL. His controversial protests have drawn criticism from the president and support from Cardi B. In taking a knee, Liam became the latest example of a young person following in Kaep's footsteps.
Unfortunately, Liam's youth didn't make him immune to criticism from those who feel taking a knee is wrong.
To critics who would chastise those protesting, the 10-year-old has a message.
"Those people just don't listen,” he said.
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