Howard Women’s Basketball Team To Stay In Locker Room For National Anthem Next Season

The team chose to remain in the locker room as new policy prevents them from kneeling at future games.

The women’s basketball team at Howard University is remaining true to its stance on justice during pregame protocols.

For the past six seasons, these HBCU athletes have chosen to kneel during the national anthem. The decision mirrors the famed choice by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to “take a knee” over police brutality, shared by Know Your Rights Camp.

The women athletes will keep the momentum of their kneeling, but will now do so behind closed doors. According to the HBCU’s newspaper, The Hilltop, the school’s athletic department stated the school’s policy on the national anthem.

Following a game against the U.S. Army in December, the athletic department implemented a new protocol. The Vice President of Athletics, Kery Davis, emphasized how the update showed “mutual respect” for all communities while maintaining students’ ability to express themselves freely.

“There have been thoughtful internal conversations between athletics leadership, coaches and student-athletes regarding pregame protocols,” revealed Davis. “The current approach is about supporting our students’ freedom of expression while upholding mutual respect for all communities.”

The new rule requires players to either stand up for the national anthem or stay in the locker room during the song. The team overwhelmingly chose the latter, even while on the road at away games.

“We don’t want to bring any bad light to Howard University, so we just decided to stay in the locker room now for every game, home and away, and we will continue to do that throughout the rest of the season,” explained associate head coach Brian Davis.

For the players, the decision is not to disrespect but to remain true to their values of justice and to the school’s motto of truth and service. As an HBCU in the nation’s capital, Howard has a storied legacy of activism and civil disobedience, participating in national calls for change as well as institutional ones within the university.

As the school cracks down on blatant opposition to national pride, other student-athletes have questioned the policy, arguing that it undermines students’ freedoms.

“If they can take away our right to protest, what else can they take away?” inquired Howard soccer player, Ireal Wyze-Daly. “I would never believe that coming to Howard, the biggest HBCU in the world, The Mecca, would basically be forced to bow down to the white oppressive system.”

Moving forward, the women’s basketball squad will navigate new provisions at the HBCU as they begin games in the locker room next season.