(CNN) – Athletes across the country have been sitting or kneeling during the national anthem in recent weeks to protest police brutality and racism.

But a football game in Washington, D.C. may mark the first time a squad of cheerleaders has taken a knee during the song.

Cheerleaders at Howard University joined a national protest on Saturday afternoon by kneeling during the anthem at the AT&T Nation’s Football Classic at RFK Stadium.

Zachary Johnson, executive president of Howard’s school of communications, posted a photo of the cheerleaders to Twitter during the game. It’s since attracted more than 6,700 retweets and almost 10,000 likes.