Francis Scott Key the author of the star spangled banner, the national anthem. The star spangled banner was recognized for official use by Woodrow Wilson 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution in 1931.
Key not only profited from slaves, he harbored racist conceptions of American citizenship and human potential. Africans in America, he said, were: “a distinct and inferior race of people, which all experience proves to be the greatest evil that afflicts a community.”
U.S. v. Reuben Crandall, Key made national headlines by asking whether the property rights of slaveholders outweighed the free speech rights of those arguing for slavery’s abolishment. Key hoped to silence abolitionists, who, he charged, wished to “associate and amalgamate with the negro.”
There are many examples of the racisim that was practiced by Francis Key Scott. Francis was a supporter of slavery but stated that America was the land of the free in the "national anthem".
Those who do not understand the history of this country and the traditions and why would a group of people who have been historicly abused phsically, and mentally decide to kneel to defy a tradition that did not take into account african americans opinions on whether or not this song should be the national anthem. Black Americans had no voting rights when this decision was made. Blacks had no power to say yes I agree or no I dont agree with the national anthem. So now that black men are being killed by police some football players choose the racist platform of the national anthem to bring awareness to race. Actually its a great platform.
The line in the national anthem home of the free was not intended for black men and women.