Memphis high school football team takes knee before national anthem

Jerald Cook says the goal of Freedom Prep is to produce thinkers. And with the football team thinking about issues of the day, they decided to make their thoughts heard.

The entire 30-strong Freedom Prep team knelt in the end zone during the national anthem prior to Thursday's 6-0 victory Westwood. In their first varsity season, the War Eagles are 3-4.

"Some of the players came to me and asked if they could do it," Cook said. "I told them as long as it was a team decision, it was okay. And as long as they knew the meaning of (kneeling).

"These kids in the inner city have a lot of questions. Why do they see a police officer that does things and doesn't get punished the way a citizen does? Why do we have a president who says things about a particular race?

"They just wanted to show unity ... and stand up for social injustice."

Shelby County Schools released a statement Friday saying students' rights to protest are protected under the first amendment. They added, however, that they expected students' expressions to be "respectful to others and peaceful in nature."