On August 14th, 2016, during a preseason game that no one really cared about, a man by the name of Colin Kaepernick decided to take a knee during one of the most beloved traditions in America: the playing of the National Anthem.
No one seemed to notice.
Six days later, Kaepernick would again kneel during the National Anthem.
Again, no one batted an eye.
Then on August 26th, something strange happened, someone would even say revolutionary. Someone took a picture.
Like the previous two preseason games, Kaepernick continued his actions of kneeling during the anthem. The only difference now? Someone caught him doing so on camera.
Once, the story caught the media's attention, the rest was history as they say. Now, a month later, the Colin Kaepernick story has made domestic and global headlines, with many athletes following suit in their own forms of protest.
Unless you're living off the grid or you simply don't care, you probably have an opinion on the actions of the many athletes around the nation who have been partaking in these protests.
No matter what your opinion may be, one thing is true -- these athletes are speaking up, and it's about damn time.
The Black community is a vibrant place. The culture that Blacks have created here in America infused with bits and pieces of the culture of the many thousands of Black immigrants from all over the globe has merged to form what we know and love today. Good and bad things alike.
Of all the areas where Black people have flourished, nothing compares to the success that Blacks have had in the world of sports. As sad as it may be, as many Black professionals may be doing fantastic things in their respective fields, when you think of Black America, our athletes are the first to come to mind.
That being said, it doesn't take Einstein to figure out the kind of impact that the voice of a Black athlete can have on the community. This was very apparent during the times of the civil rights movement (and the years following), where we saw brave men like Jackie Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Joe Louis, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, Althea Gibson, Wilma Rudolph, Bill Russell and many, many more use their platforms to speak on the injustice facing the black community.
As the years have passed, many problems still plague the Black community, but the voices of the athletes seemed to have become unspeakably quiet (pun intended).
Enter Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick's National Anthem protest has reached heights that very few could've ever predicted, but then again, the media loves a good villain.
The national conversation throughout the sports world and other forms of news have largely been centered on Kaepernick's every action and has since made it's way to the other athletes following Kap's lead.
Many have been critical of these athletes for "speaking on political/social issues" because they are "paid to play sports" and they live "privilege lives". The irony of all this backlash is that they're no bounds to what an athlete can say, and surprise, surprise they are a part of the community. And secondly, how far do you think Joe Schmoe from around the corner would get by speaking on these issues? The reality is that yes, social media may give people a bigger voice to speak their mind, but they're thousands upon thousands who voice their opinions on many a topic, but the only ones who are heard are those with clout.
Now for many of you, no matter what is said and no matter how many examples are given, your mind is made up and you hate Kaepernick and his band of crooked followers, and that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but don't think for one second that the voices of these athletes are unnecessary and are "adding to the racial divide".
These very conversations are the ones that far too many people avoid and the lack of awareness to problems surrounding the black community, and many other problems in this country, have been prolonged because of this. This has caused problems for those outside of the black community as well as many within the community. They're far too many people who are uninformed on the issues surrounding the very place that they call home and the efforts of these athletes along with other movements around the country are shedding light on this lack of awareness. The difficult conversations are starting and people, regardless of what their stances may be, are developing opinions on issues that were once thought to be an after-thought.
As a young, black male, this is quite a time to be alive. So much devasting news is reported on the daily, but the efforts of these athletes and the many others using their voice give me hope and an overwhelming sense of pride.
Many of you may hate everything that is going on, many of you may feel that these issues are a "figment of the imagination" and are products of the media. Whatever you think is irrelevant to me, and frankly, I don't care. All I can say to those of you who take some kind of offense to the issues at hand, take a look in the mirror. Have you stopped to think "why are so many people so upset?" or "why is any of this important?". If the answer is no, then I encourage you to read some books, do some research, learn the real history of this country. Don't let the media fool you, and don't let facebook trolls be your only source for your thoughts on the world around you.
Lastly, for all the Kaepernick haters out there, I leave this with you:
Just some food for thought.
