Oakland A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first Major League Baseball player to kneel for the national anthem in open protest ahead of Oakland’s home game against the Texas Rangers.
Maxwell, who is African-American and comes from a military family, chose to kneel with his hand on his heart while facing the flag in solidarity with the NFL players who continue to protest racism and inequalities in America.
Earlier Saturday, Maxwell posted on Twitter following a series of comments from president Donald Trump that called for the firing of NFL players who chose to protest the national anthem.