Colin Kaepernick took to Twitter on Independence Day to deliver a strong rebuke to the celebration of the nation’s founding.
According to Kaepernick, America has “dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized” blacks for centuries. He further called the celebrations commemorating the nation’s founding a “celebration of white supremacy.”
Kaepernick, the NFL’s original anthem protester, has not played in the NFL since the end of the 2016 season. After a long legal battle with the NFL, in which he accused the league of “blackballing” him and fellow protester Eric Reid, the NFL eventually settled the suit with Kaepernick. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently apologized for not listening to Kaepernick and other protesters. He then went so far as to say he would “encourage” a team to sign Kaepernick.
For some time after he began his protests, Kaepernick’s supporters inn the media claimed that his movement was not intended as disrespect to America or the flag. Though, in light of his determined effort to get his sponsor, Nike, to stop distribution of their Betsy Ross Flag sneakers on the 4th of July in 2019.
And, of course, his strident condemnation of America in his tweet today, those claims are not and never have been supportable.
Follow Dyllan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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