Five Years Later Colin Kaepernick Welcomed to NFL
How the Raiders’ stance mirror equality and free speech for all.
Good things come to those who wait or fight against injustice and are being silenced. It has been five years since Kaepernick took to his knees in protest of how Black Americans especially Black men are being treated in this country during an NFL pregame.
In 2016, Kaepernick’s growing discontent with all the racism, police brutality, and injustice made him an activist as he knelt in protest during the national anthem at the start of NFL games.
The NFL officials, along with Trump who screamed at the top of his lungs against Kaepernick’s stance protesting a phenomenon that everyone knew existed since the beginning of time in this country.
Kaepernick’s bravery made him a target of the very system that he was fighting against. Voices from every corner inside and outside of the football world stood against Kaepernick’s plea for justice for all. Those who stood idle by are just as guilty as the ones who spoke out. Omission turns into co-mission. America has pretended and been in overt denial of its racist stance for so long that it has become the norm and acceptable.
Even former president Trump wayed in on Kaepernick taking a knee in protest of racial injustice and police brutality with his negative comments blasting the airways toward Kaepernick being reprimanded in some manner. During this time, NFL stood by and allowed Kaepernick to be reprimanded as suggested. In the years that followed, not one team stepped up in Kaepernick’s defense or invited him to join their team. They did the cowardly thing based on fear of losing fans and financial support.
Henceforth, Kaepernick became a civil rights activist and former football quarterback who played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League.
Since 2016, Kaepernick’s career in the NFL came to a halt and stood still as the world watched how wrong and unjust this ban on his NFL career was. It is clear he was targeted due to the color of his skin. If he was white would he had been banned as such? The answer is a resounding, “NO!”
There have been protests in the past from white players and most often they were supported and rewarded. This same mistreatment is what Kaepernick and every person of color have experienced in some fashion.
Recently, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to do the right thing by openly welcoming Kaepernick to join them. During an interview, the Raiders owner expressed his belief in Colin Kaepernick being an asset to the team and how he deserves a chance to become a quarterback in the National Football League.
Since 2016 Kapernick was blackballed or should I say whiteballed because of his public stance on racism and police brutality, if his actions were inappropriate because his stance lacked evidence and truth is one thing but his stance highlighted the reality that everyone knew existed and still exist.
Why punish someone for doing the right thing? And the very sources that perpetuate the lie that racism and police brutality is a nonissue are the very ones who whiteballed Kapernick.
Sadly to say that it took the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis ex-police officer Derek Chauvin to give rise to the NFL changing its stance on protests during pregames.
In 2020, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave credence to the “Black Lives Matter” movement and admitted that the NFL was wrong for not listening to its players early on and now is supporting its players to have a voice against injustices and can protest peacefully.
While the media has loosely followed Kapernick who has made efforts to remain in shape and participated in NFL events with other players. In the face of the NFL taking a new stance on respecting its Black players per the Raiders owner, now the coaches, players, and all involved parties need a new attitude that could lead toward a new day and new way for NFL players’ rights to free speech just like their non-black players.
According to the media, the owners have a new attitude, it remains to be seen if that attitude has permeated into the NFL fabric and is embraced by all involved parties.
In conclusion, one person can make a difference but collectively can bring about a revolution for permanent change in any environment, inclusive of the NFL. The time for microaggression needs to be called out and addressed in real-time with truth to bring about much need change.
Lastly, the NFL owes Kaepernick, and payday in some manner should be forthcoming and not just returning to a sport he loves. He has been affected financially, mentally, physically, and socially. Much deserves to be reckoned with moving forward for Kaepernick and other players that follow.
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