Montel Williams on NFL Protests: ‘In This Country, We Still Think Black Men Should Shut Up, Accept What You Get’

Friday on CNN’s “Newsroom,” while discussing President Donald Trump’s criticism of NFL players for taking a knee during the national anthem at games, television personality Montel Williams said some “still think black men should shut up, accept what you get and keep your mouth shut.”

Williams said, “This has nothing to do with disrespecting the flag. It has to do with the fact that in some ways in this country we still think black men should shut up, accept what you get, and keep your mouth shut. I don’t agree. Look, I’ll tell you something—the reason I spoke out this week is because again, let’s break this down. I held my hand up and said ‘I do solemnly swear and affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.’ I  didn’t say I support a flag, a piece of paper. I said the Constitution. And when I do so, that means that the first thing that our forefathers thought to give us the right to do was the right to protest. So you denigrate and disrespect the lives of all 300,000 Americans that died in World War II, 600,000 Americans that were wounded in World War II, the thousands that have just put their life on the line right now to give you the right to protest. You denigrate them. Stop it.”

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