Just hours before NFL player Colin Kaepernick sparked a national debate about the flag, police brutality, and the National Anthem during an NFL preseason game on August 26th, 15-year old Shemar refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, IL.

Shemar did not stand for the pledge his entire freshman year because he didn’t feel like it, according to the Chicago Tribune. However, this year, the act took on a whole new meaning after Shemar watched many of the recent police brutality videos.

Shemar refused to stand for the pledge and when asked why he replied, “America sucks.” The teacher eventually spoke with Shemar’s mother, Kelley Porter Turner, about his comment. Porter Turner instructed Shemar to apologize for the comment and the teacher agreed to let him sit down in the future.

Shemar and his mother | Photo: Chicago Tribune

Apparently the teacher had a change of heart the next time Shemar refused to stand again. The teacher attempted to yank him out of his seat and then threatened all students with disciplinary action if they refused to stand. Eventually a meeting with the teacher and the principal resolved the issue. The district even distributed a copy of the conduct policy to all teachers that explicitly states students can’t be forced to stand for the pledge.

Although the incident was resolved, the repercussions continue to linger. Shemar, like many of the athletes sitting or kneeling during the National Anthem, face threats of violence for peaceful protest.

“It’s terrible,” Shemar said of the repercussions of his action in the Chicago Tribune. “Now a whole bunch of people don’t like me because of this, and people are trying to fight me, too.” Porter Turner pulled Shemar out of school this week and enrolled him in an online charter school instead since she feared for his safety.

This young black boy is learning first hand that people tend to take their flag, anthem, and pledge more seriously than the threats to Black lives. Hopefully Shemar continues to grow as a young activist and doesn’t let the threats of violence push him into complying with something he doesn’t believe in out of fear.

What do you think? What would you do if a teacher pulled your child out of their seat to stand for the pledge? How might you handle the threats of violence? Share in the comments below!

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Kelley Porter Turner

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