Colin Kaepernick knelt 10 years ago. America responded with a clear warning to Black people
A decade after Kaepernick’s quiet protest shook the NFL, his exile looks less like an aberration than a blueprint for the culture war that followed
TL;DR
- Colin Kaepernick began protesting police killings of Black people by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, leading to his exile from the NFL.
- Kaepernick's protest is seen as a catalyst for a decade-long culture war that has affected sports, politics, and media.
- The article argues that sports leagues have largely purged 'troublemakers' and co-opted protests into corporate-friendly gestures.
- It suggests that Donald Trump's rise to power reflected a segment of white American anger, and media outlets often amplified this sentiment.
- Players like Dak Prescott and figures like Michael Vick and Ray Lewis discouraged or undermined Kaepernick's protest.
- The article posits that white Americans often view the nation as a personal possession, leading to resentment when their perceived authority is challenged.
- Events like the murder of George Floyd and the January 6th riots are presented as moments that highlighted the issues Kaepernick raised, though lasting change remains elusive.
- The author concludes that Kaepernick's fate serves as a warning to other athletes and that true equality remains an unfulfilled American goal.