Throughout last season and the ensuing weeks that have followed his release from the San Francisco 49ers; it has been easy to forget that Kaepernick is a football player. Or better yet, football has been a secondary topic when discussing his name. Since last year, he has got way more attention for his actions off the field than he has gotten for his plays on the field. The topic of him taking a knee to protest the National Anthem has got thousands of more headlines than him going to the Super Bowl. Even the people who rarely watched the NFL, are familiar with the name Colin Kaepernick and the circumstances surrounding him.
When Kaepernick began protesting the National Anthem before the start of NFL games last season, he did more than create headlines. He did more than reopen and re-energize the dialogue on the injustices in this country. He also made the barriers that exist in this country more visible. Most people have chosen a side on the issue. Either you agree with him or you don’t. The people who have created a grey area and have said things like they understand and respect what he is doing, but don’t like how he did it, are not neutral. I’m just going to put them on the side of non-supporters.
The issue has had a similar effect on the red and blue states that were divided during the election of President Trump. The red are the people who feel the protest is a sign of disrespect to not only the flag, but those who have served and fought for the liberties within the country. The blue is more liberal folks who believe those same liberties protect Kaepernick to speak his mind regardless of what he is saying. It is a classic case of conservative versus liberal.
This premise is also present in the Black community as well. However, another layer has been uncovered among Blacks when dealing with the protest. That’s the narrative of the “field negro” versus the “house negro.” The sellouts against the freedom fighters. The Blacks who have supported Kaepernick view him as a modern-day revolutionary. A lot of them feel that it is no other choice but to support someone who is taking the stand on their behalf. You got Blacks who serve this country and also feel like not standing for the anthem is disrespectful. When those Black people who don’t support him speak their minds, they have been called sellouts and coons. Once again there is no grey area concerning this matter. The Blacks who have dropped even a slight hint of dissension in regards to what he is doing and how he is doing it have been labeled as traitors to the ’cause.’