Wisconsin basketball player says she's unfazed by backlash from her anthem protest
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marsha Howard, a basketball player at the University of Wisconsin, has been sitting during the national anthem. (Wisconsin Badgers website)
A senior forward who plays women's basketball for the University of Wisconsin is choosing to take a seat on the bench when the national anthem is played before games, according to reports.
When "The Star-Spangled Banner" is played, Marsha Howard, a native of Chicago, sits alone on the bench, closes her eyes and bows her head, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“If this can make a change, I’ll be part of it. I never really thought about the negative backlash. I’m going to live in my truth. I’m going to speak up about things that are harming my culture and my people. I was OK with living in that light," she told the paper.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I never really thought about the negative backlash. I’m going to live in my truth. I’m going to speak up about things that are harming my culture and my people."
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Howard sat in protest during a game at Iowa during the 2017-18 season that sparked U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to tweet a reaction last year, Milwaukee radio station WTMJ reported.
"Iowa constituents asked me why a starter for Wisconsin women Bb wld not be patriotic enuf to stand for natl anthem song today," Grassley tweeted. "ASK THE WISCONSIN COACH / Exprress outrage to university."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But Howard told the Tribune that she didn't fear backlash and concentrated on the "overwhelmingly positive responses" that supported her right to free speech.
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“I just said, ‘What is he trying to say right now?’ ” Howard said. “Right after he made that tweet, I got 10 other good (tweets). I’m still getting more and more love and support from other outsiders. The positive far outweighs the negative.”