The significance of war-based patriotism and pro-military discourse in conservative rhetoric against black activism.
Summary
This paper examines the strategic use of militarised patriotism and pro-military rhetoric by conservative opposition to Black activism, specifically during the Take a Knee protests led by Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid against racial injustice in the United States. The protests, which commenced in 2016 and involved athletes kneeling during the national anthem, were met with significant criticism from conservatives, including then-President Donald Trump, who accused participants of displaying unpatriotic and disrespectful attitudes towards the military.
The study argues that in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the United States has increasingly linked its national identity with military loyalty, transforming patriotism into a war-based ideology that frequently marginalises or stigmatises dissent. Those of a conservative persuasion sought to exploit this sentiment, portraying the Take a Knee protests as a betrayal of American values. This was achieved by conflating support for the military with loyalty to the nation. Trump’s statements, in conjunction with those of conservative media outlets and social media users, redirected criticism away from the activists’ anti-racist message and towards accusations of disloyalty, portraying the protestors as a threat to national security.
The paper analyses social media responses and conservative news rhetoric in order to demonstrate how conservative narratives effectively overshadowed the protests’ goals by focusing on perceived disrespect for veterans and the flag. While some veterans expressed support for the protests, conservative discourse largely dismissed the racial justice aims, redirecting the public debate to issues of patriotism and military respect.
It is concluded that this conflation of patriotism with military valour served to deflect attention from systemic racial injustices and solidified an ideological framework that both resists racial justice movements and reinforces social divisions. This research underscores the powerful role of militarised patriotism in shaping opposition to contemporary Black activism in America.
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Source header: Oakland Raiders National Anthem Kneeling © Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons (Cropped)
Kjeld Botter (2000) is a research master’s student in the History department at Leiden University, specialising in ‘race’ relations and riots in the post-war Netherlands. His research also extends to the trans-Atlantic context, with a particular focus on the US-Dutch relationship in relation to racial injustices. In addition to his studies, he works as a student assistant for the ESG/CMGI section at Leiden University.
