‘Will I become the next hashtag?’: Why I kneel with Kaepernick
As a black man in the USA, I’m scared
If I’m out for a drive and my car breaks down, will I die at the hands of police officers?
Will I be perceived as a threat when they arrive at the scene, even though I have no reason to seem suspicious?
If I reach for my license and registration, will they think I’m reaching for a gun?
Will my life be ended before I have the chance to have my day in court?
Will I become the next hashtag?
And will my killer simply be put on paid administrative leave and face no charges?
For me and many other African Americans, these fears are all too real. Kaepernick’s demonstration will not be the thing that allays these fears, but it leads to an important first step – discussion.
When I see Kaepernick take a knee during the national anthem, I don’t see it as a sign of disrespect. He isn’t turning away from the flag. He’s not stepping on it or burning it, he still looks towards it.
Kaepernick’s protest is not meant to represent disdain for this country, and it’s not a slap in the face of patriotism. He’s simply using his platform as a celebrity and star-athlete in order to draw attention to a pressing issue.
Kaepernick knows that he is putting his reputation on the line. In fact, according to a recent poll Kaepernick has become the “most disliked” player in the NFL.
He has not been accused of rape, murder, crime, or deflating footballs, but because he decided to kneel during the anthem, he has been mercilessly criticized and hated by NFL fans. He continues to kneel despite the opinions of naysayers because he knows that these problems cannot be solved if we refuse to acknowledge them.
When I see fans burning Kaepernick’s jersey or viciously criticizing those who refuse to stand for the anthem, it makes me sick to my stomach. The fact that peaceful protests and demonstrations are met with vitriolic responses reveals so much about the work we have left to do to make meaningful change.
But, the increasing opposition also means that the protest is having an effect. As more and more athletes take a knee, more people start having discussions that wouldn’t happen otherwise.
And even if he’s the “most disliked” player in the NFL, more people recognize Kaepernick now than in past seasons. They know who he is and what he protests for.
And although hundreds of people burn his jersey or use it as a doormat, it’s hit the number one spot on NFL.com. It is, far and away, the most popular jersey sold in months.
Kaepernick’s protest is absolutely necessary because of the country’s refusal to deal with issues of racial injustice. I’ve almost been desensitized to police killing unarmed black males because it happens so often.
Every week there’s another hashtag, another name, and another series of protests. When someone asks me if I heard about “that black guy who got shot,” I have to respond with “which one?”
The recent killings of Terence Crutcher and Alfredo Olango have made consider my own safety in this country. Crutcher was on his way home when his car broke down in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Officers said he was “a bad dude,” tazered him, shot him, and left him in the street to die. He was unarmed, but deemed suspicious enough to be executed on the road.
Olango was killed by police in San Jose this past Tuesday. He was suffering from an epileptic episode. His sister called the police in hopes that they would help him. She stressed that his erratic behavior was due to mental illness and that he was in desperate need of assistance, but instead of detaining him, he was killed on the scene.
As a black male, I’m honestly terrified that I could meet a similar fate. The odds are already stacked so high against people of color in these situations. In 2016, at least 217 black people have been killed by police.
More than two-thirds of these victims were unarmed, yet in 97% of these cases, no officer was charged with any crime. These statistics have made me ask so many questions.
By essentially giving a voice to the voiceless, Kaepernick has placed this dialogue at the forefront of the sports world. It is much harder to avoid, and it’s something that he and many others refuse to move past until it is face head on.