Colin Kaepernick
Racial tensions in the United States have spread throughout sports recently, specifically during the recent actions that Colin Kaepernick has taken to stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. During the 2016 season, Kaepernick took his first knee during the national anthem in week 3 of the preseason. There is lots of controversy with this action, but Kaepernick is expressing his feelings towards race in America. In an interview after a game, he stated, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder". Even with this proactive view that he has, he is still getting criticized constantly for taking a stand for something "bigger than football". One of the main criticisms is how it shows disrespect towards the military. Some who felt that way expressed their feelings by boycotting the NFL, as the ratings dropped compared to previous seasons. In conclusion, the movement Colin Kaepernick has created in the NFL with the Black Lives Matter movement is a step in the right direction for athletes of all sports to start having more freedom expressing themselves.
Personally, I agree with Kaepernick that it is extremely important for people in positions of influence to use their power as celebrities to speak out against injustices being faced by people who do not have the same ability to make a statement and get people talking about an issue. Additionally, I believe that Kaepernick's decision to kneel illustrates exactly the type of freedom that our flag represents, as opposed to "disrespect for the flag", which is an argument often used by those who disagree with Kaepernick's actions. One thing I think is ironic is that some of the people who believed not standing for the National Anthem was wrong have boycotted the NFL, while some of the people who believed it was wrong for Kaepernick to later not be signed have also boycotted the NFL, for the opposite reason.
ReplyDeleteSince his first refusal to stand for the National Anthem, Colin Kaepernick has taken steps as an activist in other ways. He started the Know Your Rights Camp, a campaign for youth aiming to "raise awareness on self-empowerment" as well as "interacting with law enforcement". Earlier this year, he also completed his pledge to donate $1 million to a number of organizations throughout the country, many of which are also working for social justice in different ways.
https://knowyourrightscamp.com/
https://www.ninersnation.com/2018/1/31/16956016/colin-kaepernick-donations-full-list-of-organizations-one-million-dollars