College Basketball Team Under Fire For Choosing To Hide During National Anthem

Rather than stand for the national anthem, the Howard University women’s basketball team has decided they would prefer to hide in the locker room.

The move comes as a direct act of defiance against a new athletic department policy requiring student-athletes to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner. After years of kneeling in protest of “social injustice,” the team’s display during a December 29 matchup against the United States Military Academy finally pushed Howard’s administration to act. Apparently, even at the “Mecca” of historically black colleges, someone realized that disrespecting the flag while playing against West Point — an institution defined by its service to the country — was a bridge too far.

In a statement to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Vice President of Athletics Kery Davis said, “There have been thoughtful internal conversations between athletics leadership, coaches and student-athletes regarding pregame protocols. The current approach is about supporting our students’ freedom of expression while upholding mutual respect for all communities. … We are going to continue to fight for injustice, we want to make sure that we stand on what we believe in. That’s one of the reasons why you come to Howard.”

Associate head coach Brian Davis confirmed the team will remain in the locker room for the remainder of the season, both at home and away, to “avoid controversy” while maintaining their stance.

Naturally, the radical elements on campus are crying foul. Ireal Wyze-Daly, a men’s soccer player from Trinidad, complained to the student newspaper, The Hilltop, that he doesn’t believe in the anthem’s “messages” and accused the university of forcing athletes to “bow down to the white oppressive system.” Despite the histrionics, the men’s team reportedly voted to comply with the policy while offering “solidarity” to their peers in the locker room.

This internal strife follows a pattern of radicalism at the D.C. institution. Just last October, a Howard professor made headlines for urging white “allies” to emulate John Brown — the violent, murderous vigilante — rather than seeking peaceful guidance.

While alumni like Julienne Louis-Anderson claim that “silencing” these athletes sends a “troubling message,” the university appears to be trying to avoid the legal and social pitfalls seen at places like Virginia Tech, where a soccer player recently received a $100,000 settlement after being punished for refusing to kneel. For now, Howard seems content to let the women’s basketball team sit out the anthem in private.