Across the world of sports, the racial reckoning that has occurred over the past few years has manifested through the playing of alternative anthems before sporting events. In the United States, the National Football League has come under fire for playing the “Black National Anthem” alongside the Star Spangled Banner to demonstrate a commitment to anti-racism.
The Kansas City Chiefs recently kicked off their season by playing a rendition of the “Black National Anthem” before the Star Spangled Banner, sparking massive controversy online. An Australian man took to X, lamenting how sports in his country and the United States have fallen victim to the woke ideology spreading throughout Western society.
The individual cited Australian examples of anti-patriotic behavior in professional sports leagues, such as the Australian Rugby League and the National Rugby League, performing “Welcome to Country,” a ritual that serves as a land acknowledgment to groups such as the Aboriginals. He noted that sports in America “have the same disease,” insinuating that he would resort to outdoor leisure, which has no woke agenda, instead of watching sports.
The user wrote on X, “The NRL and ARL here in Australia have gone woke with “welcome to country” Sadly sports in the USA have the same disease….. The NFL started off their season by playing the Black National Anthem before playing the Star Spangled Banner at the Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs Game. F*ck it, I’m going fishing.”
An example of a “Welcome to Country” statement that the Australian social media user was representing, reads, “I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we meet today and pay my respect to their Elders past and present, as well as to emerging leaders. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.”
Critics have blasted the playing of alternative anthems, maintaining that it is divisive to cater to different groups. Many believe that everyone should ideally be united under a single anthem, sharing a bond as fellow Americans. The American Tribune reported on the recent incident involving the Kansas City Chiefs, where the Kansas City Boys Choir and the Kansas City Girls Choir performed a rendition of “Lift Every Voice,” which has been labeled “The Black National Anthem.”
The popular conservative X account, End Wokeness, shared the clip on social media, commenting, “We now have a special national anthem before every game to honor 13% of the population.” Conservative commentator Paul A. Szypula added, “This division started with Obama and has only gotten worse since. If we want to fix it we need to defund companies that promote it. Stop watching the NFL. Stop going to their games.” Another user on X claimed, “Why is there just a Black National Anthem? How dare we insult Eskimos with this complete lack of equity! The @NFL needs to adopt the Inuit National Anthem or else.”
Watch the playing of the “Black National Anthem” the Australian social media user was criticizing below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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