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California NAACP pushes to have ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ removed as national anthem

The California NAACP is forwarding a resolution to state lawmakers that seeks to remove “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem.
JACKSONVILLE - NOVEMBER 30: A large American flag waving on November 30, 2016 in Jacksonville, FL. (Photo by Waring Abbott/Getty Images)

The California NAACP is forwarding a resolution to state lawmakers that seeks to remove “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem.

The organization discussed the resolution at its California – Hawaii State Conference in October.

In a video on Facebook, California Hawaii President Alice Huffman said they took a closer look at the national anthem following the kneeling protest of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“Just bending a knee forced us to go back and look at a lot of things,” Huffman said.

Of biggest concern is the rarely sung third stanza of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It reads:

Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave

Some believe the verse celebrates the death of black American slaves who fought with the British in exchange for their freedom.

“Here we are bowing to a song and worrying about a song that we never should have called our national anthem,” said Hufman.

The California and Hawaii NAACP hope that California lawmakers forward the resolution on to Congress, and “The Star-Spangled Banner” is replaced with a more inclusive song.

The organization also passed a resolution to support Colin Kaepernick and censure President Donald Trump for comments he made to players who knelt during the national anthem.

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