Take A Knee Nation is hosting a National Conference entitled “Race, Police Violence & the Right to Protest” on February 3 and 4 the weekend of the National Football League’s BIG GAME in Minneapolis, MN. The conference will end on Sunday and will be followed by a “TAKE A KNEE” rally near U.S. Bank Stadium at 4 pm.
Take A Knee Nation is an organization that includes Take A Knee Nation Twin Cities and student-athletes, cheerleaders and others who have taken a knee to protest police violence, along with families and friends of victims of police violence and activists and others dedicated to fighting police violence.
Activists have “taken a knee” at NFL games in several NFL cities this year. It is part of a movement that was started in August of 2016 when former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to sit for the national anthem and later chose to take a knee in protest of police violence in this country.
Students around the country have taken up the call, including Alyssa Parker of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.
Parker was asked by the schools administration if she could take a knee before the anthem and then stand for the anthem. Alyssa responded to the school administration,” When it comes to Black lives being taken, that’s not something you can compromise on. This isn’t the type of thing that can be compromised,” she said.
The conference is being put on by Take A Knee Nation Twin Cities, along with students, activists, and families of police violence victims from Iowa, Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago and St Louis.
The conference will be held on the West Bank of Minneapolis.
For further information, contact Mel Reeves at 651-403-0338 or mellaneous19@yahoo.com, or Brock Satter at 612-366-9471 or brock.satter@gmail.com.
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.