Colin Kaepernick, who’ll probably go down in history as an activist rather than a former QB, revealed where all that vigor came from. Speaking about his early years fighting racial injustice, he revealed several influential voices that shaped his views. One of them was Harry Belafonte. While the late artist’s thoughts left a lasting mark on Kaepernick, his unique mentorship often left Kaepernick frustrated. In hindsight, the former 49ers player has nothing but appreciation for the legend.

“He [Belafonte] was sharp, and I would ask him, ‘[What] would you do in this situation? What are your thoughts here? And what was most interesting to me?” Kaepernick said on the QuestLove Show. 

“He would never give me an answer, but he would tell me a story about an experience he had that was related,” Kaepernick went on to say. “And it was one of those moments that I would walk out of there sometimes, and I would be frustrated because I was like, I just want the answer, like I need help. I’m trying to figure this out. I need to take action now…He’s forcing me to walk that path myself as opposed to saying, well, here’s the path I walked.”

Kaepernick, who has spent years advocating against racial discrimination and injustice, recently identified heroes who inspired his journey. The conversation soon shifted to Belafonte, a figure Kaepernick clearly enjoyed spending time with. Unlike others on his list, he actually had the chance to spend time with the late singer, actor, and civil rights activist.

He recalled visiting him multiple times in New York, describing those meetings as “Sundays with Mr. B.” And that’s when Belafonte would unconventionally drop those wisdom bombs. Looking back, Colin remains grateful, saying his approach helped him forge his own path and boosted his leadership skills. The ex-NFL player also drew encouragement from the work of revolutionary Malcolm X and boxer Muhammad Ali.

Colin explained that reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X altered his brain chemistry as he could finally see through the distortion. The book helped him understand the activist’s role in pushing for social change. Then, there’s Ali, whose determination to stand against the government had a profound impact. The late boxer battled the political regime’s attempts to enlist him in the army to fight in the Vietnam War. 

He found it ironic to fight for democratic rights in a foreign country when the government denied the same in his own. Kaepernick admired him for not compromising his beliefs despite losing titles and opportunities. In 2016, Colin started his own revolution in the NFL that eventually cost him his career. But he did receive a nod from Belafonte.

Belafonte defended Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 national anthem protest

Colin Kaepernick joined the league as the San Francisco 49ers’ promising QB. He started making an impact as early as his second year and became a cornerstone of the team’s offense with his consecutive 3000-yard seasons. But in 2016, the killings of two unarmed African-American men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, by the police enraged him.

In response, he began taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality against people of color.

“To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” Kaepernick told The Guardian in 2016. “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

His national anthem protest triggered backlash, with many calling the act unpatriotic. Anonymous NFL executives reportedly called Kaepernick a “traitor.” At the same time, many NFL players and civil rights leaders rallied behind him, including Belafonte. He said that silencing “slaves” has always served in the best interests of “slave owners.” He was referring to the league’s front office. 

“And I think that when a black voice is raised in protest to oppression, those who are comfortable with our oppression are the first to criticize us for daring to speak out against it,” he added. “I think that it’s a noble thing that he’s done.”  

As someone who faced similar racial ignorance in Hollywood back in the 1960s, Belafonte understood the importance of raising voices. At the time, he stepped back from Hollywood from 1959 to 1970 and focused heavily on civil rights activism. He worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. and supported the movement both publicly and privately.

Belafonte also expanded his efforts internationally, speaking out against apartheid in South Africa. He also helped organize the famous 1985 charity single “We Are the World.” As for Kaepernick, he filed a collusion grievance against NFL owners in 2017, alleging teams coordinated not to sign him. The case was settled in 2019, but Colin Kaepernick chose not to step onto the football field again.