Commentary: Our Brother Colin
posted by Jamario Lynch | September 13, 2017 | In Opinion, SportsColin Kaepernick has been a household name across America since the day he first made national headlines for sitting down through the playing of the national anthem before the San Francisco 49ers third preseason game back in August of 2016. Since, Kaepernick has become one of the most villainized individuals in American society. It is the belief of many “Patriotic” citizens in the USA that by sitting down for the national anthem, he is being disrespectful to the flag, which people equates to somehow being disrespectful to the military and other armed forces. Moreover, when asked, what was the reason for his noninvolvement in the pregame ceremonial festivities? Kaepernick told reporters, “Ultimately, it’s to bring awareness and to make people realize what is going on in this country. There are a lot of things going on that are unjust, people aren’t being held accountable for, and that’s something that needs to change.” What Kaepernick is referring to is the large and growing number of unarmed black men and women that are being wrongfully gunned down by police officers that most times get away with murder with absolutely no consequences. Thus began an epic downslide for Colin’s career, but it did mark what I believe to be the beginning of the infancy of his potential impact.
Take a second and think back to a few of the most memorable acts of civil rights protest that took place during the heart of the movement. First, back in the year 1960 a series of nonviolent protest took place in Greensboro, North Carolina. The most famous faces and figures of these protest was a group of young men that were deemed The Greensboro Four. Joseph McNeil, David Richmond, Ezell Blair Jr, and Franklin McCain all had a tremendous impact on the progression of the civil rights through the actions that created images that are still widely disseminated today. Next, I want to remind you of the ever so powerful 1968 Olympic Black Power salute that was given on the winner’s podium in Mexico City by black historical icons Tommie Smith and John Carlos. This display served as a beautifully satirical image, showing a person of color standing both above and below their white counterpart, all while raising a fist to show unity and solidarity. Moving forward, the reason I am drawing equivalencies between these events is because they are both profound events that did not require a large mass of people in the demonstration just to make a difference. Hence, a powerful movement does not have to be one that is started by a group, a single man has the power to move the masses.
I believe that the singlehanded protest that Colin Kaepernick began will one day in the future be seen as a modern day civil rights milestone, but also Kaepernick’s name will be mentioned amongst many the black activist that we revere today. In an attempt to uphold a level of objectivity, I interviewed several individuals and asked how they felt about the state of the Colin Kaepernick situation. Shannon Tate answered the question by saying, “I don’t know much about football, but I do think that it’s wrong how NFL teams are refusing to sign him just because he protested.” Shannon is a contestant in the 2017 Miss Kappa Alpha Psi Scholarship pageant, hosted by the Epsilon Beta chapter. Delonte Ward is another person I asked about the same situation. During a phone interview we had he said, “I’m sure back when Dr. King decided to start having marches not every black person in America was on board and ready to follow his lead. I bet there were a lot a blacks on the plantation that thought Harriet Tubman was crazy until they started seeing her be successful.” Delonte believes that one day in the distant future, the public perception of Kaepernick’s actions will change just as it did for other leaders throughout time. Finally, I asked ESPN sports analyst, former NFL Players Association President, and Harvard graduate Dominique Foxworth in a tweet about his thoughts on the situation. I responded by tweeting back “Kap is a great guy. He is fighting for a noble cause and I applaud him for that, but if he wants to get back in the league, he needs to make it clear that he is all about football.” I truly admire Dominique Foxworth, but I have to disagree with him on this point. The NFL has given jobs to individuals whom have broken a myriad of crimes. Kaepernick has done absolute no crime and is being blackballed like a convict.
In summation, at this current time on the calendar Colin Kaepernick is being seen as a villain in the eyes of many people. Well when it is all said and done, and the years on the calendar begin to become a larger and larger number America will soon realize that Kap was not disrespecting the flag, but yet showcasing what makes it so great. We live in a country that values freedom of expression and supposed equal liberties for all people. Well when a person uses those natural born rights to express what they feel may be wrong with the country, in no way should that person ever be punished or outcast for doing so. That would be a complete contradiction of what the flag represents.
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