Reverend Sykes tells Scout to stand up out of respect for her father and what he did. The gesture is a show of respect from the African-American community. He stood up for Tom Robinson, an innocent man, even though he is African-American. While many white people in the community know that Tom Robinson is innocent, they will not take the word of a black man over a white man. Atticus treats everyone with an equal amount of respect no matter their race.
