Ever since Colin Kaepernick knelt for what he stood for, spreading awareness of racial injustice, it ended up costing him his career. He has remained without a starting quarterback position years after protests on the field. He finally called out the NFL on Sunday for their hypocrisy in supporting what he advocated for and still not being resigned.
What We Know:
- The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback star and activist used this opening weekend of the season to state that the NFL indulges in “performative activism” when it comes to racial justice. He pointed out the fact of another player who remains unsigned. Former 49ers safety Eric Reid signed a three year deal with the Carolina Panthers after departing the 49ers, but was ultimately released before his contract ended earlier this year.
- Reid is currently an NFL free agent who actually joined his old teammate and longtime friend Kaepernick in the 2016 protests that got the resilient quarterback benched and eventually thrown out of the NFL, a league that has a troubled history confronting racism.
While the NFL runs propaganda about how they care about Black Life, they are still actively blackballing Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) for fighting for the Black community. Eric set 2 franchise records last year, and is one of the best defensive players in the league. https://t.co/KQXTaOCcnU
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 13, 2020
- He openly shared his thoughts on the same day most NFL teams had their season opener games. In a pandemic society, we continue to see empty stadiums and much less commotion than before. However, that didn’t stop many players from demonstrating in the same way that got Kaepernick stonewalled from playing the sport. Kneeling, locking arms, raising fists, or staying off the field were all actions that could be seen during the national anthem.
- During the first Thursday night game of the season, an abundance of attendees at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans game booed players when displaying unity by linking arms during the anthem, and statements against racism appeared on the scoreboards.
- Another change this season is the song that will now follow the national anthem. Commonly known as the “Black national anthem,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, will be played on the leagues part from now on. The Associated Press previously reported the league has permitted players to bare decals on their helmets with the names of victims of systemic racism.
- The NFL’s alleged support and “social awakening” follows the unfortunate events of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year. The outcry has since sparked nationwide protests over systemic oppression and police brutality on African Americans in the U.S.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who initially refused to support Kaepernick’s protests, posted a video statement in June acknowledging that the league regrets not listening to players and what they were fighting for. Moreover, video game developer EA Sports announced that Kaepernick has been added to the 2021 edition of its Madden series for the first time since 2016.
