Colts coach Frank Reich, several Vikings kneel during anthem to protest systemic racism

INDIANAPOLIS — For the second consecutive week, Colts head coach Frank Reich knelt during the playing of the national anthem while the rest of the Indianapolis roster stood flanking him, arms locked in a show of unity.

Reich has been the only member of the Colts to kneel during the national anthem so far this season, a decision that was not made lightly.

Several members of the Minnesota Vikings knelt during the national anthem before the Colts’ home opener in Lucas Oil Stadium. Reich’s gesture of kneeling was a team decision, made collectively to send a message.

“We thought it was a unique way to express what needs to be done,” Reich said last week in Jacksonville about his gesture on behalf of his team. “Where someone like myself, a white leader, would kneel out of a posture, but like the statement said, not out of defiance but out of humility to acknowledge that some work needs to be done that we can’t leave things the way they are. It takes all of us, everybody, but certainly white leaders have an opportunity to step up and make a big change as far as systemic racism is concerned.”

Reich not only knelt, but he took a step forward at the start of the national anthem, as he did last week, a calculated move.

“On stepping forward: Making significant progress to end racism requires all of us to step forward. More specifically, it requires white leaders stepping forward to bring about real change to eliminate discrimination and equal the playing field in all areas, such as housing, education, and law enforcement. The changes we need are not short-term fixes. Rather, they are system changes that will have generational impact,” the team’s statement on the gesture, released during the season opener in Jacksonville, read. “On kneeling: It is not a posture of defiance but rather one of humility - taken by the White community - to acknowledge the injustice and inequality that is present, and to find the courage and resolve to make the changes needed.”

For the second consecutive week, the Colts lined up as one on the end zone line for the playing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem, and wore t-shirts in warmups with “Black Lives Matter” on the front and statistics about racial inequality on the back.

The Colts organization has made it clear this year that they will continue to address the issues of social justice, both in the symbolic gestures on game day and in action during the week. Indianapolis plans to address four areas: voting, community/police engagement, providing food to those in need and working with Indianapolis Public Schools.

“The team standing and locking arms is symbolic of our unity and strength,” the Colts’ official statement said last Sunday. “We desire to stand with and for each other and for our Black communities in the fight for justice and equality. Join us. We will not be silent; we will not be neutral; we will not be passive!”