Liam Holmes, a 10-year-old Cub Scout, took a knee Monday during the Pledge of Allegiance at a city council meeting in Durham, North Carolina.
According to CBS 17, Liam’s Cub Scout Pack 451 was invited to the council meeting and asked to lead
“What I did was took a knee against racial discrimination, which is basically when people are mean to other people of different colors,” the boy said.
His father, Scott Holmes, said that he spoke with his son about the silent protest but he was unsure whether he would commit to it.
“When he did it, I was really surprised and also very proud,” Holmes said.
Mayor Steve Schewel personally thanked Liam.
"Thank you, councilman, and thank you, scouts. To the scout that expressed his conscience by kneeling, we will say we endorse and appreciate all expressions of conscience in Durham City Council," Schewel said.
To anyone who disagreed with Liam’s gesture, the boy said, “Well, those people just don’t listen.”
Kneeling invoked the protest made popular by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who kneeled during the national anthem to bring awareness to police brutality and racial inequality in the 2016 season.
Kaepernick has not played in the league since 2016 and is suing the NFL and its team owners for alleged collusion.
