Megan Rapinoe has written a piece for The Players’ Tribune explaining further why she is kneeling during the American anthem before games.
“I can understand if you think that I’m disrespecting the flag by kneeling, but it is because of my utmost respect for the flag and the promise it represents that I have chosen to demonstrate in this way,” Rapinoe writes.
She brings up police brutality and Tyre King, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio the night before the United States played Thailand there. But she also discusses her ongoing attempts to connect to community leaders and the Black Lives Matter movement, which is important to note as being the original focus of Rapinoe’s kneeling.