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Olympian Gwen Berry insists National Anthem is ‘disrespectful to black Americans’ as she doubles down on flag protest
OLYMPIC athlete Gwen Berry has insisted the national anthem is "disrespectful" to black Americans just days after she turned her back on the US flag during a medal ceremony.
The , 31, doubled down on her controversial protest on Monday in an interview with Black News Channel, an affiliate of CNN.
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"If you know your history, you know the full song of the national anthem. The third paragraph speaks to slaves in America — our blood being slain … all over the floor," the Olympic hammer thrower said.
"It’s disrespectful, and it does not speak for black Americans," she said.
"It's obvious. There's no question."
The third stanza of the anthem Berry was referencing contains the lyrics, "Their blood has washed out their foul footstep’s pollution,” and, “No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”
Berry also reiterated comments she had earlier made on Twitter, insisting .
“I never said that I didn’t want to go to the Olympic games. I never said that I hated the country. I never said that,” Berry told the outlet.
“All I said was I respect my people enough to not stand or acknowledge something that disrespects them.”
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The controversy surrounding Berry was out during a medal ceremony at the US Olympic Trials in Oregon.
A disgruntled Berry, who placed third, was seen standing with her hand on her hip before turning to face the stands instead of the flag.
As the song came to a close, Berry pulled up her black T-shirt with the words "Activist Athlete" emblazoned on the front to cover her head.
Berry later claimed that she had been "set up" and said she felt as though the anthem had been played "on purpose."
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The national anthem has been played once per evening during the trials but on Saturday it rang out while Berry took to the podium.
"I feel like it was a setup, and they did it on purpose,'' Berry said of the timing of the anthem.
"I was p***ed, to be honest.
"They said they were going to play it before we walked out, then they played it when we were out there.
"But I don’t really want to talk about the anthem because that’s not important. The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has.”
She added that her "purpose and mission is bigger than sports."
"I’m here to represent those … who died due to systemic racism," she continued. "That’s the important part. That’s why I’m going. That’s why I’m here today."
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Berry's action drew sharp rebuke, including from a number of leading GOP lawmakers.
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton called for Berry to be ousted from the US Olympic team over the protest.
“I don’t think it’s too much, when athletes are competing to wear the Stars and Stripes — to compete under the Stars and Stripes in the Olympics — for them to simply honor that flag and our anthem on the medal stand," he told Fox News.
"If Ms. Berry is so embarrassed by America, then there’s no reason she needs to compete for our country. She should be removed from the Olympic team.”
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Cotton's remarks followed on from similar sentiments shared by Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who said Berry should be prohibited from traveling to Tokyo for the Games next month.
"The entire point of the Olympic team is to represent the United States of America. That’s the entire point, OK?” Crenshaw said. “They should be removed. That should be the bare minimum requirement, is that you believe in the country you’re representing.”
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tweeted: "What's wrong with people?
"Group up, everyone stood for the American flag. Didn't matter your politics, race, sex, income, religion; everyone stood for the flag," he continued.
"It was one of those civic rituals that brought us together. It still should today."
Berry reacted to the backlash on social media across Sunday and Monday, sharing a video of Crenshaw's remarks and writing, "At this point, y’all are obsessed with me.”
White House Press Secretary during a Monday press conference.
Psaki said that while Biden is "incredibly proud to be an American and has great respect for the anthem and all that it represents … he would also say, of course, that part of that pride in our country means recognizing there are moments where we, as a country, haven’t lived up to our highest ideals."
That means, Psaki said, "respecting the right of people, granted to them in the Constitution, to peacefully protest.”
Psaki added that she hasn't spoken directly with Biden about the matter.
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Berry previously competed in the hammer throw at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
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During that competition she failed to qualify for the medal round.
She has protested during the national anthem before, raising her right fist and bowing her head during the 2019 Pan-America Games in Peru.
Biden 'respects Gwen Berry's right to turn away from US flag' as Olympian hits back at outrage
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