A key component of living as an Amerikkkan in the United States is an unquestioning, unyielding, impartial commitment to the symbolism and national mythology that is encapsulated in our banner. I’ve said before that as a revolutionary, I consider myself a patriot of sorts, perhaps in a naively utopian sense that hopes that the United States can one day live up to the ideals that were once intended only for white male landowners.

Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and black adopted son to two white parents, is being criticized by liberals and lambasted by right wing radicals for refusing to stand for the national anthem during one of his games. For many on either side of the political spectrum, his explanation felt insufficient, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color," so said Kaepernick, “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." The Santa Clara Police Union threatened to pull its officers from future events on Twitter not long after this comment was made.

Kaepernick has made other follow-up statements to this initial interview with NFL.com, some about Hillary Clinton, some about charity, but in any case, his mode of protest should be lauded. Why was Tim Tebow praised for his explicit and obnoxious for of religious devotion on the field but Kaepernick is condemned for stating the facts, that black people (and many other classes of oppressed folks) are being shot in America? We know why.

When a celebrity person of color, especially a black man, deviates from the incredibly narrow path that has been built for them, they are quickly shunned by the White-owned media. It is a form of manufacturing consent for White supremacy, a mode of normalizing oppression by suppressing dissenters. In the same manner that returning veterans who speak out against imperialism are not highlighted by public discourse, so too are athletes like Kaepernick are demonized and mocked for attempting to side with the oppressed.

Kaepernick’s words and deed are more than revolutionary, they are an expression of his humanity in Blackness. Should we join in this mockery of his humanity, we too, become guilty of culpability in White supremacist structures. Take a cue from Colin, and don’t stand for the national anthem. It’s your right as an American.