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 The Star Spangled ░░░░░░░░ Explain what happened in ░░░░░░░░ moments because you know ░░░░░░░░ lot of people have ░░░░░░░░ lot of different scenarios ░░░░░░░░ we want to hear ░░░░░░░░ you on this platform ░░░░░░░░ everyone what was on ░░░░░░░░ mind during that time ░░░░░░░░ Well originally we were ░░░░░░░░ even supposed to be ░░░░░░░░ the podium during the ░░░░░░░░ or the playing of ░░░░░░░░ national anthem When we ░░░░░░░░ back in the call ░░░░░░░░ the directions were that ░░░░░░░░ were going to be ░░░░░░░░ to the crowd before ░░░░░░░░ anthem was going to ░░░░░░░░ played or after the ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ No one made any ░░░░░░░░ or any notion that ░░░░░░░░ would be on the ░░░░░░░░ or had to be ░░░░░░░░ the podium during the ░░░░░░░░ of The National anthem ░░░░░░░░ want to make that ░░░░░░░░ Those were our directions ░░░░░░░░ before or after no ░░░░░░░░ event group that I ░░░░░░░░ of stood on the ░░░░░░░░ during the playing of ░░░░░░░░ National anthem However when ░░░░░░░░ went out to introduce ░░░░░░░░ to the crowd coincidentally ░░░░░░░░ National anthem was playing ░░░░░░░░ they asked us to ░░░░░░░░ on the podium And ░░░░░░░░ the anthem played In ░░░░░░░░ moment I feel like ░░░░░░░░ was a setup because ░░░░░░░░ was those were not ░░░░░░░░ directions that was not ░░░░░░░░ intent The intent was ░░░░░░░░ would be introduced to ░░░░░░░░ crowd either before or ░░░░░░░░ the singing of The ░░░░░░░░ anthem In which if ░░░░░░░░ had that option or ░░░░░░░░ I knew that I ░░░░░░░░ going to be on ░░░░░░░░ podium I would have ░░░░░░░░ something else MARLOW Now ░░░░░░░░ just want to ask ░░░░░░░░ is it about The ░░░░░░░░ anthem or that whole ░░░░░░░░ that made you feel ░░░░░░░░ uncomfortable Why didn t ░░░░░░░░ want to you know ░░░░░░░░ that part BERRY History ░░░░░░░░ you know your history ░░░░░░░░ d know the full ░░░░░░░░ of The National anthem ░░░░░░░░ third paragraph speaks to ░░░░░░░░ in America our blood ░░░░░░░░ slain and and indecipherable ░░░░░░░░ over the floor It ░░░░░░░░ disrespectful and it does ░░░░░░░░ speak for black Americans ░░░░░░░░ s obvious there s ░░░░░░░░ there s no question ░░░░░░░░ Now you were quoted ░░░░░░░░ saying that you didn ░░░░░░░░ want to do that ░░░░░░░░ the anthem did not ░░░░░░░░ you So now you ░░░░░░░░ we have to ask ░░░░░░░░ is your response to ░░░░░░░░ that are sort of ░░░░░░░░ or choosing to take ░░░░░░░░ you did in a ░░░░░░░░ light What do you ░░░░░░░░ to the folks that ░░░░░░░░ say why be on ░░░░░░░░ U S A if ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ the flag BERRY I ░░░░░░░░ said that I didn ░░░░░░░░ want to go to ░░░░░░░░ Olympic Games that s ░░░░░░░░ I competed and I ░░░░░░░░ third and made the ░░░░░░░░ I never said that ░░░░░░░░ hated the country never ░░░░░░░░ that All I said ░░░░░░░░ I respect my people ░░░░░░░░ to not stand or ░░░░░░░░ something that disrespects them ░░░░░░░░ love my people point ░░░░░░░░ period MARLOW Now you ░░░░░░░░ your people which means ░░░░░░░░ also love your family ░░░░░░░░ know that you came ░░░░░░░░ a household where you ░░░░░░░░ raised with 13 other ░░░░░░░░ So talk about what ░░░░░░░░ of person that made ░░░░░░░░ What did you learn ░░░░░░░░ your grandmother and from ░░░░░░░░ know a host of ░░░░░░░░ that you lived with ░░░░░░░░ single day BERRY I ░░░░░░░░ I learned that family ░░░░░░░░ Despite the economic oppression ░░░░░░░░ we faced growing up ░░░░░░░░ know I still have ░░░░░░░░ family And my grandmother ░░░░░░░░ did everything she could ░░░░░░░░ make sure that we ░░░░░░░░ and had a roof ░░░░░░░░ our head And that ░░░░░░░░ special MARLOW Mm hmm ░░░░░░░░ we know this is ░░░░░░░░ the first time that ░░░░░░░░ have used the Olympic ░░░░░░░░ to peacefully protest Back ░░░░░░░░ 2019 the Pan Am ░░░░░░░░ you held up that ░░░░░░░░ in solidarity So what ░░░░░░░░ you have to say ░░░░░░░░ other athletes who may ░░░░░░░░ on the fence and ░░░░░░░░ any kids that are ░░░░░░░░ because we all know ░░░░░░░░ Olympic athletes you know ░░░░░░░░ see them on the ░░░░░░░░ box you guys are ░░░░░░░░ role models for an ░░░░░░░░ different generation out there ░░░░░░░░ what do you have ░░░░░░░░ say to those folks ░░░░░░░░ are watching All right ░░░░░░░░ guys it does seem ░░░░░░░░ we have had some ░░░░░░░░ difficulties and we lost ░░░░░░░░ Gwen Berry shot her ░░░░░░░░ right there but we ░░░░░░░░ hear her say what ░░░░░░░░ on her mind She ░░░░░░░░ not say that she ░░░░░░░░ not want to go ░░░░░░░░ the Olympics She did ░░░░░░░░ say that she hates ░░░░░░░░ or any of the ░░░░░░░░ So I m glad ░░░░░░░░ we were able to ░░░░░░░░ her this platform and ░░░░░░░░ eradicate some of the ░░░░░░░░ thoughts that are out ░░░░░░░░ about Ms Gwen Berry ░░░░░░░░ actions Jones And just ░░░░░░░░ to what she said ░░░░░░░░ said she was standing ░░░░░░░░ for her people She ░░░░░░░░ like that anthem doesn ░░░░░░░░ represent who we are ░░░░░░░░ as black people so ░░░░░░░░ felt the need and ░░░░░░░░ said You know what ░░░░░░░░ feel like I was ░░░░░░░░ up and I m ░░░░░░░░ to stand for it ░░░░░░░░ this point MARLOW My ░░░░░░░░ perish for a lack ░░░░░░░░ knowledge that s a ░░░░░░░░ statement in this situation ░░░░░░░░ is knowledgeable of the ░░░░░░░░ and she is choosing ░░░░░░░░ make a current decision ░░░░░░░░ on the history and ░░░░░░░░ feel like that is ░░░░░░░░ that we can all ░░░░░░░░ a lot from Jones ░░░░░░░░ it was so good ░░░░░░░░ have Gwen join us ░░░░░░░░ and actually share her ░░░░░░░░ with us Good job ░░░░░░░░ thank you.”