Colin Kaepernick has broken his silence on the death of George Floyd. The athlete and activist spoke out in support of uprisings fueled by another murder at the hands of police.
In a statement posted to his social media accounts, Kap spoke on the effects of police brutality and encouraged the uprisings to continue.
“When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction. The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in power George Floyd.”
Kaepernick also took the opportunity to announce that he has started a Legal Defense Initiative to support Freedom Fighters on the ground. "In fighting for liberation there's always retaliation. We must protect our Freedom Fighters. We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp."
Colin Kaepernick became a beacon of the Black Lives Matter movement when he became the first NFL player to peacefully protest police violence by kneeling. The act cost him his career, resulting in him being blackballed by the league. For over three years now the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has not been allowed to play in the NFL.
In a show of rank hypocrisy, amid nationwide anti-racism protests, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell shared an uncharacteristic message of solidarity, defending the league's "ongoing commitment [...] to address these systematic issues." Goodell has notably been silent on issues of race during his tenure as commissioner.
It's almost laughable that the same organization that has punished black players for taking a stance against systematic racism – while also profiting off mostly black bodies –, claims to be on the side of change. Read the statement for yourself below.
Sign the petition to demand justice for George Floyd and join us in taking a stance against institutionalized racism.
