Opinion: Players taking a Knee
- Lorenzo Alexander
- Oct 8, 2017
- 3 min read
In a league where 70 percent of its players are black, I'm disappointed to see the sudden uproar of players now running to Kaepernick’s defense. Not because of the Freddie Gray verdict, not after watching the videos of Philando Castile getting shot in front of his wife and child, or even Sandra Bland’s mystery death in police custody, but the breaking point for most of those now participating in the knee protest was the insulting words of 45. Not to say I don't applaud their sacrifice as noted Von Miller (all pro Linebacker for the Denver Broncos) who lost endorsement deals by taking a knee, but why wait to til’ a well known bigot makes an ignorant statement referring to you as a “son of a bitch”.
I refer back to a real brave athlete, Jackie Robinson. Who feared for not only his own life, but his families life every game he played during the times of integration in baseball from the Negro Leagues to the MLB. He stood up to social injustice when he didn't have anyone in the league that can relate or stand behind him. Alone he conquered barriers and here we are in 2017 with an entire league on the backs of minorities and we are too consumed with fear to kneel in protest. Lynchings was a problem in America and there was no where people could go for help. Leaders like MLK, Huey Newton and Malcolm X were posed as threats and were all slain and are now remembered for their sacrifice for a better life for African Americans living today. The circumstances are so much less pressuring than the times liberated black men had to fear death. So I want to understand, where is that sacrifice in such a late effort to come together to fight white supremacy in our nation? I remember watching Kaepernick alone, week after, week taking a knee thinking “how much of an impact the NFLPA would have on America is at least half of the league joined Kaep in his protest?” but my disappointment continued by seeing Kaep knee while his fellow teammates and opponents looked away and refused to acknowledge his strong stance. Not to mention the uproar and displeasure his own race expressed from current and also retired players. I would use examples but that takes away from my point and they don't deserve the attention. I look at them as I would see Kaepernick being Jamie Foxx in Django and them being Samuel Jackson, house slaves. Slaves to a league that deprived them from information regarding brain trauma. A league that when a player is injured, fans lash out irrationally with only concerns of their fantasy team not winning that week. A league where time and time again it's displayed it's misogyny by turning its back on domestic violence victims. A league where its commissioner has showed time and time again he lacks the competence to institute correct punishments to fit player’s wrong-doings. So once again I go back to my confusion. Does the loyalty lie in the millions of dollars given by those contracts? Is the money worth more to that many men, then using their platform to make a global impact on the fight for social justice? Maybe I'm being insensitive to the players...maybe they do need those millions of dollars to provide and feed their families, maybe Kaepernick’s cause doesn't amount to as much as the possibility of going back to the lives they had before they were professional athletes. But I know with my conscious, seeing my fellow brother take a knee alone until he was pushed out of the NFL, I would feel guilty living with myself knowing I had a chance to make an impact in the initial stages of a powerful movement in the black lives matter protests.
Comments