North Park’s Catalyst 606__ program welcomed Olympic medalist Dr. John Carlos and Chicago Bears linebacker Sam Acho to campus last October to speak about the intersection of sports and protest in the last 50 years. Dr. Carlos, who famously gave the Black Power salute as he received a bronze medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics, and young Bears star Sam Acho shared their views on the recent kneeling controversy in the NFL.
“The real beauty isn’t in everyone acting the same, the beauty is in everyone being different,” Acho said, referring to protests such as the one by former San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who repeatedly kneeled during the national anthem during the 2016 season.
After the panel discussion, some of the dozens of students in the audience asked questions.