Kaepernick unchained
19th September 2016 · 0 Comments
By Edmund W. Lewis
Editor
There is no system of oppression that is foolproof, no plantation that can control or even know what slaves are saying, doing and thinking at all times.
The slaveholders of Saint Dominique found this out the hard way during the Haitian Revolution. And now the National Football League is learning this lesson.
Despite the presence of athletes who have run afoul of the law and league rules like Adam “Pacman” Jones, Michael Vick, Darren Sharper and Johnny Manzell, for a very long time the NFL has managed to prevent its athletes from challenging white supremacy and speaking out about issues like police brutality, unfair laws and economic injustice. Then along comes San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who took a stand against white supremacy by simply sitting down during the singing of the national anthem. Apparently he planned to take a quiet stand but that ended quickly as mainstream media organizations began to question his motives.
Kaepernick’s words and actions have led to a wave of criticism from the public in general and a host of current and former professional athletes like Jerry Rice and Drew Brees.
Many argued that by refusing to stand, Kaepernick was disrespecting the U.S. flag, America and military veterans. Among those who defended his words and actions were former NFL wide receiver Joey Galloway and former NFL running back and New Orleans native Marshall Faulk, both of whom said that Kaepernick has the constitutional right to express his personal beliefs as long as he does so within the confines of the law.
Since the initial incident, Kaepernick has been in contact with several military veterans who have expressed their support for him and his actions. He has decided to kneel instead of sit and has been joined in doing so by teammates and LSU alum San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid, Denver Broncos player Brandon Marshall and at least four Miami Dolphins players.
While Kaepernick’s actions have not sparked a major uprising among 60 million slaves, it may ultimately mark a turning point in the way athletes view themselves and their relationship to those less fortunate.
Like the overwhelming majority of his peers in professional sports, Kaepernick could have simply set up some community service photo-ops, hosted a fundraiser or written a check for his favorite charity. Instead he decided to take the road less traveled and use his status as an athlete to raise awareness about societal ills that date back to the founding of America. In the spirit of legendary Black athletes like Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown, Kaepernick is laying it all on the line as he stands up for the issues and principles he holds dear. While it’s clear that the quarterback still has a lot to learn about the history of the Black struggle and his place in the world, it is also clear that he has made a conscious decision to take deliberate steps on the road to knowledge of self, enlightenment and empowerment.
Unlike some athletes and celebrities who post comments about issues they dearly do not understand because they simply want to be in the spotlight, Kaepernick has acknowledged that he is a work in progress, and continues to strive to better understand the plight of Black people in America.
Whether you agree with everything he has said and done, you have to respect the brother’s courage, honesty and sincerity.
Those who criticize Kaepernick should consider all of the professional athletes who have said nothing about economic injustice, unfair laws and police shootings of unarmed Black and Brown people. They should also consider athletes who only seem to have the courage to criticize other Black people and those like former NBA player Charles Bartley who famously said “slavery wasn’t that bad” and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton who recently said that there is no racism in America.
Newton’s comments are especially infuriating since he was so widely vilified and criticized as being arrogant and cocky for celebrating touchdowns and showing anger and disappointment after losing the last Super Bowl to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Interestingly, very few people criticized Peyton Manning after he left the field after Super Bowl 44 without congratulating the New Orleans Saints.
It is painfully evident that Black athletes are held to a higher standard by franchise owners, league officials, mainstream media and the general public. Black athletes, many of whom come from poor or working-class families, are expected to shut up, use their brains as little as possible and play ball. Those who speak out about racial injustice are often treated worse than athletes who knock out their wives and girlfriends, sexually assault women, gamble on sporting events and abuse illegal drugs. That’s why the strikes by football players at Grambling State University and the University of Missouri were major stories and why so many university and professional sports officials have taken steps to prevent these kinds of uprising from occurring again.
Freedom of speech is the last thing collegiate and professional teams want players to exercise.
To drive home that point, NFL officials recently fined a Black player for wearing football cleats to honor the victims of the Sept.11 World Trade Center attacks. To their credit, first responders from NYC and a NYPD police union have offered to help him pay the fine.
The last thing the NFL, NBA, and other sports leagues want are intelligent Black athletes who think for themselves and have principles that mean more to them than fame, lavish lifestyle and lucrative contracts. They prove this in many ways.
Consider the case of Rhodes Scholar and former Florida State linebacker Myron Rolle who wanted to play in the NFL before going to medical school. His athletic ability was never in question as he had the talent needed to play on the next level. NFL coaches and scouts however, essentially blocked him by saying Myron Rolle had “too many options.” In other words, he didn’t need the NFL; he didn’t depend on it for his survival or success. What if he was signed by a team and saw something he didn’t like? He wouldn’t be afraid to speak out. By doing so, what if he “infected” other slaves on the NFL plantation with hope and thoughts of freedom, fairness and justice? That would be a major problem for the one percent who own these NFL plantations.
For all these reasons, I am grateful for Colin Kaepernick and the courage he has displayed.
May the Creator and our Beloved Ancestors continue to protect and guide him as he grows and evolves as a freedom fighter and raise awareness about the plight of Black people in America.
This article originally published in the September 19, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
