Gwen Berry: ‘Obvious’ the National Anthem’s ‘Third Paragraph Speaks to Slavery’

JONES Welcome back to ░░░░░░░░ Live Over the weekend ░░░░░░░░ athlete Gwen Berry made ░░░░░░░░ and not just for ░░░░░░░░ performance in the Olympic ░░░░░░░░ After making her second ░░░░░░░░ team and receiving that ░░░░░░░░ medal Berry turned her ░░░░░░░░ to the U S ░░░░░░░░ while the national anthem ░░░░░░░░ and held up a ░░░░░░░░ that read Activist Athlete ░░░░░░░░ isn t the first ░░░░░░░░ Berry has exercised her ░░░░░░░░ to peaceful protest After ░░░░░░░░ gold in the hammer ░░░░░░░░ at the 2019 Pan ░░░░░░░░ Games Berry raised her ░░░░░░░░ for which she was ░░░░░░░░ She says it cost ░░░░░░░░ thousands of dollars sponsorships ░░░░░░░░ affected the stability of ░░░░░░░░ career But this time ░░░░░░░░ she s calling it ░░░░░░░░ setup And athletes have ░░░░░░░░ been barred from staging ░░░░░░░░ during the Tokyo Olympic ░░░░░░░░ and yet some are ░░░░░░░░ choosing to use the ░░░░░░░░ to stand up for ░░░░░░░░ they believe in BNC ░░░░░░░░ Jimmy Marlow right here ░░░░░░░░ next to me MARLOW ░░░░░░░░ you very much Brittany ░░░░░░░░ a long list of ░░░░░░░░ and accolades She s ░░░░░░░░ an American track and ░░░░░░░░ athlete who specializes in ░░░░░░░░ hammer throw and is ░░░░░░░░ sixth on the all ░░░░░░░░ list She also holds ░░░░░░░░ world record for the ░░░░░░░░ throw set in 2017 ░░░░░░░░ she s joining me ░░░░░░░░ to respond to the ░░░░░░░░ that she is facing ░░░░░░░░ please help me welcome ░░░░░░░░ Gwen Berry Thank you ░░░░░░░░ joining us here on ░░░░░░░░ Live BERRY Thank you ░░░░░░░░ having me MARLOW So ░░░░░░░░ of all congratulations on ░░░░░░░░ a second spot and ░░░░░░░░ Olympics for the 2021 ░░░░░░░░ Games But following the ░░░░░░░░ ceremony that you broke ░░░░░░░░ with the other athletes ░░░░░░░░ you draped an Activist ░░░░░░░░ shirt over your head ░░░░░░░░ The Star Spangled Banner ░░░░░░░░ what happened in those ░░░░░░░░ because you know a ░░░░░░░░ of people have a ░░░░░░░░ of different scenarios but ░░░░░░░░ want to hear from ░░░░░░░░ on this platform tell ░░░░░░░░ what was on your ░░░░░░░░ during that time BERRY ░░░░░░░░ originally we were not ░░░░░░░░ supposed to be on ░░░░░░░░ podium during the singing ░░░░░░░░ the playing of the ░░░░░░░░ anthem When we were ░░░░░░░░ in the call room ░░░░░░░░ directions were that we ░░░░░░░░ going to be introduced ░░░░░░░░ the crowd before the ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ or after the anthem ░░░░░░░░ going to be played ░░░░░░░░ one made any mention ░░░░░░░░ any notion that we ░░░░░░░░ be on the podium ░░░░░░░░ had to be on ░░░░░░░░ podium during the singing ░░░░░░░░ The National anthem I ░░░░░░░░ to make that clear ░░░░░░░░ were our directions Either ░░░░░░░░ or after no other ░░░░░░░░ group that I know ░░░░░░░░ stood on the podium ░░░░░░░░ the playing of The ░░░░░░░░ anthem However when we ░░░░░░░░ out to introduce ourselves ░░░░░░░░ the crowd coincidentally The ░░░░░░░░ anthem was playing and ░░░░░░░░ asked us to stand ░░░░░░░░ the podium And then ░░░░░░░░ anthem played In that ░░░░░░░░ I feel like it ░░░░░░░░ a setup because I ░░░░░░░░ those were not the ░░░░░░░░ that was not the ░░░░░░░░ The intent was we ░░░░░░░░ be introduced to the ░░░░░░░░ either before or after ░░░░░░░░ singing of The National ░░░░░░░░ In which if we ░░░░░░░░ that option or if ░░░░░░░░ knew that I was ░░░░░░░░ to be on the ░░░░░░░░ I would have chose ░░░░░░░░ else MARLOW Now I ░░░░░░░░ want to ask what ░░░░░░░░ it about The National ░░░░░░░░ or that whole scenario ░░░░░░░░ made you feel so ░░░░░░░░ Why didn t you ░░░░░░░░ to you know acknowledge ░░░░░░░░ part BERRY History If ░░░░░░░░ know your history you ░░░░░░░░ know the full song ░░░░░░░░ The National anthem The ░░░░░░░░ paragraph speaks to slaves ░░░░░░░░ America our blood being ░░░░░░░░ and and indecipherable all ░░░░░░░░ the floor It s ░░░░░░░░ and it does not ░░░░░░░░ for black Americans It ░░░░░░░░ obvious there s no ░░░░░░░░ s no question MARLOW ░░░░░░░░ you were quoted as ░░░░░░░░ that you didn t ░░░░░░░░ to do that because ░░░░░░░░ anthem did not represent ░░░░░░░░ So now you know ░░░░░░░░ have to ask what ░░░░░░░░ your response to people ░░░░░░░░ are sort of demonizing ░░░░░░░░ choosing to take what ░░░░░░░░ did in a negative ░░░░░░░░ What do you say ░░░░░░░░ the folks that now ░░░░░░░░ why be on team ░░░░░░░░ S A if you ░░░░░░░░ t want to represent ░░░░░░░░ flag BERRY I never ░░░░░░░░ that I didn t ░░░░░░░░ to go to the ░░░░░░░░ Games that s why ░░░░░░░░ competed and I got ░░░░░░░░ and made the team ░░░░░░░░ never said that I ░░░░░░░░ the country never said ░░░░░░░░ All I said was ░░░░░░░░ respect my people enough ░░░░░░░░ not stand or acknowledge ░░░░░░░░ that disrespects them I ░░░░░░░░ my people point blank ░░░░░░░░ MARLOW Now you love ░░░░░░░░ people which means you ░░░░░░░░ love your family We ░░░░░░░░ that you came from ░░░░░░░░ household where you were ░░░░░░░░ with 13 other people ░░░░░░░░ talk about what type ░░░░░░░░ person that made you ░░░░░░░░ did you learn from ░░░░░░░░ grandmother and from you ░░░░░░░░ a host of individuals ░░░░░░░░ you lived with every ░░░░░░░░ day BERRY I mean ░░░░░░░░ learned that family matters ░░░░░░░░ the economic oppression that ░░░░░░░░ faced growing up you ░░░░░░░░ I still have my ░░░░░░░░ And my grandmother she ░░░░░░░░ everything she could to ░░░░░░░░ sure that we survived ░░░░░░░░ had a roof over ░░░░░░░░ head And that s ░░░░░░░░ MARLOW Mm hmm Now ░░░░░░░░ know this is not ░░░░░░░░ first time that you ░░░░░░░░ used the Olympic platform ░░░░░░░░ peacefully protest Back in ░░░░░░░░ the Pan Am Games ░░░░░░░░ held up that fist ░░░░░░░░ solidarity So what do ░░░░░░░░ have to say to ░░░░░░░░ athletes who may be ░░░░░░░░ the fence and also ░░░░░░░░ kids that are watching ░░░░░░░░ we all know that ░░░░░░░░ athletes you know we ░░░░░░░░ them on the Wheaties ░░░░░░░░ you guys are like ░░░░░░░░ models for an entirely ░░░░░░░░ generation out there So ░░░░░░░░ do you have to ░░░░░░░░ to those folks that ░░░░░░░░ watching All right you ░░░░░░░░ it does seem that ░░░░░░░░ have had some technical ░░░░░░░░ and we lost Ms ░░░░░░░░ Berry shot her shot ░░░░░░░░ there but we did ░░░░░░░░ her say what was ░░░░░░░░ her mind She did ░░░░░░░░ say that she did ░░░░░░░░ want to go to ░░░░░░░░ Olympics She did not ░░░░░░░░ that she hates America ░░░░░░░░ any of the sort ░░░░░░░░ I m glad that ░░░░░░░░ were able to give ░░░░░░░░ this platform and really ░░░░░░░░ some of the ill ░░░░░░░░ that are out there ░░░░░░░░ Ms Gwen Berry s ░░░░░░░░ JONES And just listening ░░░░░░░░ what she said she ░░░░░░░░ she was standing up ░░░░░░░░ her people She was ░░░░░░░░ that anthem doesn t ░░░░░░░░ who we are as ░░░░░░░░ black people so she ░░░░░░░░ the need and she ░░░░░░░░ You know what I ░░░░░░░░ like I was set ░░░░░░░░ and I m going ░░░░░░░░ stand for it at ░░░░░░░░ point MARLOW My people ░░░░░░░░ for a lack of ░░░░░░░░ that s a strong ░░░░░░░░ in this situation She ░░░░░░░░ knowledgeable of the history ░░░░░░░░ she is choosing to ░░░░░░░░ a current decision based ░░░░░░░░ the history and I ░░░░░░░░ like that is something ░░░░░░░░ we can all take ░░░░░░░░ lot from JONES Yes ░░░░░░░░ was so good to ░░░░░░░░ Gwen join us here ░░░░░░░░ actually share her story ░░░░░░░░ us Good job Jimmy ░░░░░░░░ you.”