April 27, 2018

Colin Kaepernick’s call for racial equality

located:	USA
editor:	Yair Oded

Last week, Colin Kaepernick (former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers) was granted Amnesty International’s “Ambassador of Conscience” award for his efforts to combat police brutality and campaign against racial injustice in the United States. Kaepernick’s reception of the award has drawn significant attention back to his movement, boosting its momentum and signalling that his fight is not over yet. Instead it now stands at a critical crossroads.

Kaepernick’s journey as a high profile activist began in 2016, when he kneeled during the U.S. national anthem at the opening ceremony of the National Football League games. Kaepernick’s gesture sparked a nationwide controversy and inspired both positive and extremely negative reactions. Following the national anthem incident, thousands of Americans chided Kaepernick on social media; some have even threatened his life. The fury and vitriol directed at Kaepernick were echoed on conservative and right-wing media outlets, such as Fox News and Breitbart, which deemed his actions inflammatory, disrespectful, and unpatriotic. Naturally, President Trump could not resist the temptation and took to Twitter, where he repeatedly bashed the former 49er and urged the NFL to fire or suspend any player who refuses to stand during the national anthem. By the end of 2016, Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers and embarked on a job search as a ‘free agent’.

His work as an activist, however, has made it difficult for Kaepernick to find employment, as most NFL teams remain reluctant to hire the controversial quarterback. Yet, the backlash against Kaepernick’s actions resulted also in constructive and positive responses that served to uplift and strengthen the civil rights movement in the U.S. The barrage of hateful attacks Kaepernick has been subject to in the past two years exposed once again the ugly face of racist America, and has urged countless citizens to side with the former NFL player, support his cause, and raise their voice in protest against racial injustice and police brutality.

Following Trump’s tweets, for instance, several football players joined Kaepernick and knelt during the national anthem; some have even refused to leave the locker-rooms while the anthem was playing. Kaepernick went on to make sizeable donations to charities promoting racial equality and invested in education programmes that raise awareness of the issue. He does not define himself as anti-American. Rather, he chooses to highlight the aspects about America that require urgent mending (racial inequality being one of the most pressing ones). By doing so, Kaepernick challenges the concept of patriotism, which in the U.S. is often limited to a very narrow definition that reflects highly conservative and rigid values.

Amnesty International’s decision to commend Kaepernick for his actions and determination in the face of harsh criticism and an ongoing risk to his professional career lends a serious boost to his movement and cause. Just as crucial, is the looming decision of the Seattle Seahawks whether to hire Kaepernick. Should their answer be a ‘yes’, the Seahawks could place a serious stamp of legitimacy on Kaepernick’s movement, by signalling to all that the aspiration for racial justice is ought to, and can be, mainstreamed, and that the brave individuals fighting for it are to be supported rather than castigated, blacklisted, and criminalised.