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You may not agree with his method, but Colin Kaepernick's protest is what we needed
You may not agree with his method, but Colin Kaepernick's protest is what we needed
By Chris Korman September 13, 2016 7:47 am Follow @ChrisKorman
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By: Chris Korman | September 13, 2016 7:47 am Follow @ChrisKorman
There were so many other storylines to focus on: An NFL team representing Los Angeles stepping onto the field for the first time in more than two decades. The opening game of Chip Kelly’s second act. A culmination to Week 1 of the NFL’s return.
And yet Colin Kaepernick cut through, flipping our entertainment — if even for only a few moments — into a discussion of something real. Simply by kneeling. As he has done for almost a month now.
We can say this, finally: Kaepernick has succeeded. Whether he was right or wrong depends on where you’re coming from. But his intention was always to raise awareness about social injustice, to stoke discussion of racism. He has done that in a remarkable way.
(John Hefti-USA TODAY)
Early on there was this masterpiece from ESPN’s Bomani Jones. President Obama eventually shared his thoughts. Adam Jones, the Baltimore Orioles outfielder, was so eloquent discussing this with USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale recently. It goes on.
Here’s the thing: This is exactly how Kaepernick can be of most help. Many have criticized him for not doing anything tangible. They’ve used LeBron James’ pledge to put thousands of kids in Akron through college as an example of what it means to actually enact change. And while James and other athletes who spend their own money to help downtrodden communities (Dwyane Wade, for example) deserve every kudos they get, those acts have a deep impact in targeted places. They don’t resonate nationally for very long.
Kaepernick’s silent protest has spread to high school teams and caused a scene at a professional women’s soccer game. It has forced countless number of parents to explain to their kids why the cameras showed some men standing and some men kneeling while The Star-Spangled Banner played. It has angered many, yes, and many appear to ignore the message because of the delivery method. Others, still, sympathize with Kaepernick’s cause but feel he’s doing more harm than good.
At least we’re talking about it.
These are difficult discussions, but we need to have difficult discussions. We need to listen to those who are different. We need, also, to confront our own feelings and beliefs.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
This is why racism and inequality have persisted for as long as they have: our inability or unwillingness to even begin to discuss the situation honestly and with those who might disagree.
That is perhaps what feels most remarkable about the impact Kaepernick, a backup quarterback on a bad team, has had. In the midst of a cantankerous presidential election between two polarizing candidates he has done more than anyone to make people stop and think about what they want this country to be. The campaign has slogged on for so long and people have grown more and more weary of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Because of the proliferation of media outlets — many produced with clear ideological bias — and the reliance on social media to receive news we’re all more inclined than ever to exist in an echo chamber of our choosing.
Then a football player kneels during the national anthem, and because that game and that song were considered safe spaces for so long we are forced to confront these larger issues. That is how we create change. There is no standardized test we can implement, no college curriculum we can enforce, no movie about a civil rights leader we can laud, no obstacle course we can run that will solve these problems. Talking about them — relentlessly and openly — is the only place to start.
Kaepernick can go meet with police, he can work with charities, he can donate his fortune. But he’ll never have as broad an impact as he already has. He took what we gave him — an incredible platform — and used it to create the work necessary to change the problems he sees. Because he knows this: he is not the solution. He is an NFL quarterback. The solution will come from politicians and teachers and police officers and writers and barbers and mechanics who might change the way they think. Who might be inclined to listen where before they would not.
Think about Kaepernick’s quiet, simple act: taking a knee. This is what you do in football — and other sports — when the coach has something he or she needs you to hear. It is an indication that you are ready to listen to whatever they have to say, no matter how harsh or unpleasant, after a practice.
And then get you get up, and you try to be better.
