University of Kentucky Supports Coach & Players Kneeling During Anthem After Criticism

Both University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto and athletic director Mitch Barnhart showed their support of the Wildcats’ basketball team after head coach John Calipari took a knee during the national anthem performed before last month’s win against Florida.

A full statement has been released after there were calls from local officials in Kentucky to defund the school.

“A value we all hold dear in our country is the right to free speech and self-expression. That right for young students such as these is important, too, as they learn, grow, and find out who they are and what they believe. We won’t always agree on every issue. However, we hope to agree about the right of self-expression, which is so fundamental to who we are as an institution of higher learning. We live in a polarized and deeply divided country. Our hope—and that of our players and our coaches—is to find ways to bridge divides and unify.”

On his radio show interview, Calipari explained why the team chose to kneel.

“It was all the images that they saw, and they wanted to have their voice heard, and I said, well, ‘Tell me what it’s about,'” he said. “They talked to me about it. Then they said, ‘We’d like you to kneel with us,’ which I did. I held my heart, but I did kneel with them because I support the guys. But it wasn’t about the military. Six of these players come from military families. … This wasn’t about the military.”

Players said Monday that they had a feeling they would receive backlash. Oliver Sarr spoke on the player’s actions and explained that they were using their platforms as athletes to peacefully protest.

“I think our action speaks for itself,” Sarr told ESPN. “What happened in the past few days, few weeks and even during quarantine, we just want to show support for our community and raise awareness on the things that happened lately. It comes from a place of understanding peaceful conversations and being open-minded. That’s it.”

Isaiah Jackson talked about the people who stormed the U.S. Capitol and referenced a noose that was seen outside the building.

“It was a couple of things,” Jackson said. “Like, I saw the noose. That was just – was out of pocket. That’s just something that people shouldn’t do. I feel like people have their own opinions, but that was just, like, that was just out of pocket. Just breaking in is just crazy to me.”