Flag Code, passed in 1942, states that all civilians present during the playing of the anthem while the U.S. The tradition of standing for the national anthem is rooted in federal law, according to historians. Kaepernick has been booed and heckled at recent games by fans who see his behavior as disrespectful and inappropriate. His sentiments have elicited sympathy from some prominent cultural and political figures, including singer John Legend, who took to Twitter last week to call the anthem “weak.” President Barack Obama defended Kaepernick, telling reporters Monday that the football star “cares about some real legitimate issues that have to be talked about.”īut many others have criticized the athlete, including the Santa Clara, Calif., police union, which has threatened to boycott 49ers games. (He has taken a knee during some performances.) The athlete has cited police brutality against black people and other forms of racial injustice for his refusal to stand for the anthem. ![]() The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has thrust the song - and its complicated backstory - into the national conversation after his recent refusals to stand when the anthem is played during NFL games. To this colorful history, football player Colin Kaepernick adds another refrain of discontent. “It was an exhaustive process,” said Mark Hildebrand, the director of the 2012 documentary “Anthem - the Story Behind the Star-Spangled Banner.” But the debate ended when President Herbert Hoover signed the bill into law, and “The Star-Spangled Banner” has remained the national anthem ever since. There were also other viable competitors, including “Hail, Columbia,” a patriotic song that served as an informal national anthem for much of the 19th century, and “America the Beautiful,” whose popularity soared during the early 20th century. The tune had ties to drinking societies, and the United States was in the midst of Prohibition. The lyrics were written by American attorney Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, but the music was borrowed from the 18th century British song “To Anacreon in Heaven.” ![]() ![]() But the decision was far from simple.Īmong the points of contention was the music’s foreign origin. ![]() In 1931, Congress passed a bill to make “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States.
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