--- title: History Behind Photo of Martin Luther King, Kr. Kneeling description: An image of Martin Luther King, Jr. kneeling in prayer has gone viral amid President Trump's outrage over NFL players taking a knee at games canonical: https://time.com/4955717/trump-protests-mlk-martin-luther-king-kneeling/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-25T15:14:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:06.589Z article:section: History og:title: This Photo of MLK Kneeling Has New Power Amid the NFL Protests og:description: Here's the story behind it og:url: https://time.com/4955717/trump-protests-mlk-martin-luther-king-kneeling/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt42d9b410c6bc92ea/6988df39fb4eac0042893dc0/mlk-taking-a-knee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1578 og:image:height: 888 og:image:alt: Martin Luther KIng Taking a Knee og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Photo of MLK Kneeling Has New Power Amid the NFL Protests twitter:description: Here's the story behind it twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt42d9b410c6bc92ea/6988df39fb4eac0042893dc0/mlk-taking-a-knee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Photo of MLK Kneeling Has New Power Amid the NFL Protests. Here’s the Story Behind It > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: NFL Players Protest Against Trump's Comments- Compilation [Watch (HLS stream): NFL Players Protest Against Trump's Comments- Compilation](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/RHFq1ePX.m3u8) (2:16)  _Published 2017-09-25. NFL Players Protest Against Trump's Comments- Complation_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Sep 25, 2017 3:14 PM UTC  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., center, leads a group of civil rights workers and Selma black people in prayer on Feb. 1, 1965 in Selma, Alabama after they were arrested on charges of parading without a permit. More than 250 persons were arrested as they marched to the Dallas County courthouse as part of a voter registration drive. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., center, leads a group of civil rights workers and Selma black people in prayer on Feb. 1, 1965 in Selma, Alabama after they were arrested on charges of parading without a permit. More than 250 persons were arrested as they marched to the Dallas County courthouse as part of a voter registration drive.BH—AP Photo by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Sep 25, 2017 3:14 PM UTC A photo of [the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.](http://time.com/4629523/martin-luther-king-jr-books-all-ages/) and other marchers for civil rights [kneeling in prayer Selma, Alabama](http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Watchf-AP-S-AL-USA-APHS237659-Group-of-Civil-Ri-/f70831865cd34aa9866c07e7d060b232/1/0) has gone viral in the wake of [President Donald Trump’s ongoing criticism of professional athletes](http://time.com/4955544/trump-nfl-kneeling-anthem/) who kneel in protest during the National Anthem. The image, taken in 1965, shows King leading a prayer after a group of protesters were arrested during a march to the Dallas County Alabama courthouse. Around 250 people were arrested during the demonstration, which was part of a push to get African Americans in Selma registered to vote. Among those praying with King is Ralph Abernathy, a fellow minister and leader of the Civil Rights movement. The photo been shared by both the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and the civil rights leader’s youngest child, Bernice King, on social media. > [](https://twitter.com/TheKingCenter/status/911726863856361477) The sports world’s kneeling controversy began last year, when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee as the National Anthem was played before football games in protest of the unequal treatment that people of color face in the U.S. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick [told NFL Media](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem) last August. Since then, other players across the National Football League have taken to sitting out the national anthem as well. That act of civil disobedience has drawn the ire of many, including President Donald Trump, who argue the players are disrespecting the American flag and the men and women who serve in the U.S. military. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out,'” Trump said at a political rally on Friday. “He’s fired. He’s fired!” Those who support the protests, including the younger King, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the King Center, say the root issue is the fact that people of color are still fighting for equal treatment under the law. > [](https://twitter.com/BerniceKing/status/911603501968642049) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4955717/trump-protests-mlk-martin-luther-king-kneeling/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4955717/trump-protests-mlk-martin-luther-king-kneeling/"},"headline":"This Photo of MLK Kneeling Has New Power Amid the NFL Protests. 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