The students’ action had been planned a month before, Lee said, as they were checking in with each other during coronavirus.

Radle said she had not been alerted to the students’ plans at Sam Houston, though district officials say that several students at other graduations have also knelt during the anthem. “I believe that God is love, and in that Being there are no borders,” Radle explained, “The only patriotism is to the call to love.” As a Christian pacifist, she has long observed silence during the Pledge of Allegiance. Radle is no stranger to peaceful action during patriotic ceremonials. Air Force Veteran, were the first to join Radle in kneeling during the anthem at the Jefferson graduation. “I just felt like being in a leadership position and representing the school district it was important for me to make a statement of solidarity with people who call for equality,” said Radle, who suggested the action, but did not mandate it from board members, “I didn’t want to impose on anyone, or grandstand on anyone.” Garza and Valdez, a U.S. Radle and others have been doing so since the district’s first graduation ceremony of 2020, Jefferson High School, last week.

SAISD Board President Patti Radle, and trustees Art Valdez, Ed Garza and Alicia Perry took a knee during the anthem in solidarity with recent protests against police brutality and systemic racism. “It just says something when every race sits down for it,” senior Jonathan Lee said, “When every race sits down together we know we’re in this together.” The graduating class at Sam Houston High School is 55 percent Latino, 40 percent black, 2 percent white, 2 percent Asian, and one percent two or more races. An observer confirmed that the entire class remained seated. Not everyone had to participate, graduate Jasiri Parks said, but from where he sat, he thinks that everyone did. They decided that to sit through the national anthem would show that they wanted to see change. “This whole racial (disparity) affects everyone,” said graduate Devin Brock-Johnson, “It plagues every single system of life.” They sat in protest of a country that they feel is apathetic to the needs and oppression of the black community. But things on the field, where the graduates sat in chairs spaced six feet apart, were already heating up.Īs the national anthem played, not one graduate rose from their chair. The sun was just starting to peek out from around early morning clouds at 8:30 am on June 16, threatening to bake the 187 graduates from Sam Houston High School and their families. Then the Valedictorian Called Out the School’s Administration

The Black President by Alicia Perry