In 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was spotted sitting on the team bench and then kneeling when the national anthem was being played before the beginning of a preseason game. When asked the reason for this, Kaepernick told an NFL Media reporter he could not “stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color“.

Why is it Important to Go Back to Kaepernick’s Actions Now?

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man from Minneapolis, and Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman from Kentucky, both at the hands of police officers, Colin Kaepernick’s actions garner vast significance. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way“, the quarterback had said back then.

As a consequence of this incident, Colin has not played football for over 3 years now. What happened to Colin because of his political beliefs was wrong, believes Joe Lockhart, former Vice President of Communications for the NFL. He thinks that the NFL can right an old wrong and make a difference today.

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Colin Kaepernick was not signed by any team after he opted out of his contract in 2017 because “it was a business risk no team was willing to take. No teams wanted to sign a player whom they saw as controversial… it certainly wasn’t illegal, but it was wrong”, Lockhart wrote. Some players joined Kaepernick, including Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, in what later went on to become the National Anthem kneel. However, America mostly only works on one principle – Shut up, do your job, count your money, be happy. The handful who stand up against wrongdoings are shunned.

The American President, Donald Trump is also one of the silencers. In 2017, he said that the owners should “fire” NFL players who protest the anthem and went on to call them names. Kaepernick too was labeled anti-cop, anti-military and a league executive perhaps went too far by calling him a “traitor”.

How the NFL Can Bring Change

Back then, the NFL commissioner and other league executives tried to persuade team owners to sign Kaepernick but couldn’t. Many more quarterbacks who signed since he was let go, may not be as talented as Colin is. In the six seasons that he played, the 49ers’ quarterback threw for 12,271 passing yards and 72 touchdowns.

Lockhart and the others thought even if they were unable to convince the teams to sign Kaepernick on, they did a righteous deed by trying and then spending millions of dollars to use the NFL’s vast platform to promote racial justice in America. However, Joe doesn’t think the same anymore and has urged the teams to truly begin to change their business-oriented approach. “The situation in Minnesota right now offers a unique opportunity to deal with the symbols of racial injustice”, Lockhart wrote. The Vikings especially can make a stand by signing on Kaepernick. It may not put an end to the deep-rooted problems of racial discrimination or police violence. But what it will do is be a step in the right direction and towards the end of such problems.

Whatever Colin Kaepernick did and said may have been controversial. But is asking for basic civil rights for minorities (despite their entitlement to these under the Constitution) truly controversial?