Saints quarterback Drew Brees stands for the national anthem, hand over heart, eyes fixed on the American flag. He is nearly brought to tears when he hears “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Every Sunday that Brees takes the field and peers up at those 13 stripes and 50 stars, he does so from a place of privilege many black Americans never will understand, including his teammates and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Brees can look at that flag with conviction and know his ancestors never served as slaves while it waved in the distance. He can sing Francis Scott Key’s words without considering the third verse, which references the killing of Colonial Marines, two units of former slaves who joined British forces and fought in the War of 1812.