What were you doing two years and [three] weeks ago? It was early September so you were probably getting ready to go back to school. Meanwhile, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was placing himself in the center of a storm of media controversy by engaging Americans in a fiery debate that would last for years to come.
While millions stand with their hands over their hearts and their eyes on the American flag every time they hear the National Anthem, Kaepernick refuses to embrace the tradition that so many use to pay homage to American freedom. Hordes of football fans across the country watched as the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, who had led the team to the Super Bowl in 2013, took a knee instead of standing with the rest of his team. His silent gesture was a protest against police brutality, following the deaths of people like Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Sandra Bland in July 2016. Public outrage bubbled over when videos went viral of police using “excessive force” on people of color like these individuals, ultimately resulting in their deaths. Protests and activism grew into the Black Lives Matter movement, which aims to bring awareness and change to issues of racism and police violence in America. While Kaepernick had remained apolitical for the majority of his football career, he took to social media to release his frustration with police brutality and support for Black Lives Matter organizers. However, these actions didn’t catch the eye of the public to nearly the degree of the kneeling, which came months later.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick explained.
Instantly, football fans across the country were divided about Kaepernick’s gesture. Many supported him, agreeing that he was exercising his First Amendment right to peaceful protest, using his platform for positive and necessary social change. Critics claimed his kneeling was anti-American, that it disrespected the military and the veterans which the anthem honored. Kaepernick quickly refuted that claim, stating that he has “great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country,” but that even veterans were not being treated right.
Considering this event in the context of the NFL adds a layer of complexity. In a sport with majority-black team members but majority-white coaches and officials, politics is traditionally brushed under the rug while American patriotism soaks advertisements, programming, and even the official logo. According to CNN, a 2016 poll revealed that Kaepernick was the league’s most disliked player. Thirty-seven percent of white respondents and 2% of black respondents said they disliked him “a lot,” while 42% of black respondents said they liked him “a lot.”
Following his initial kneeling on Sept. 1, at least 19 other NFL players joined Kaepernick by kneeling during the national anthem. The debate even spilled into other professional sports, such as men’s soccer and women’s basketball, with players taking stances on both sides of the argument. President Trump weighed in on Twitter, aggressively claiming Kaepernick should either be required to be fired, to stand, or “find a country that works better for him.” Multiple NFL officials also spoke out, some claiming any individual has the right to choose whether or not to stand, and others arguing that kneeling disrespected the sport, the flag, and the tradition. Initially, the NFL issued a statement saying that players were “encouraged, not required” to stand for the anthem. In May 2018, however, team owners declared that all team personnel were required to stand for the anthem.
Following his silent protest, Kaepernick pledged to donate $1 million to various small nonprofits throughout the country, calling on other star athletes, musical artists, and actors to join him for the last $100,000 in his #10for10 campaign. The $1 million pledge was fulfilled in January 2018, benefiting organizations that do work ranging from supporting single urban mothers to working with community gardens in underprivileged areas. Kaepernick also launched his own “Know Your Rights” free summer camp for children in cities like Chicago, Oakland, and New York. It focused on teaching youth about self-empowerment, black history, and how to safely interact with law enforcement in various situations. In 2017, Kaepernick was named GQ’s Citizen of the Year and awarded the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. In 2018, he appeared on the October Time Magazine cover as Person of the Year.
However, Kaepernick hasn’t been employed by the NFL since 2017 when he opted out of his contract with the 49ers. Speculation still buzzes about whether this is because of his declining statistics (he went from being the first NCAA player to throw 10,000 yards to being on the bench with shoulder injuries) or due to the League’s discontentment with his political assertions. He filed an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL, claiming they conspired to keep him from getting resigned to a new contact due to his protests. It wasn’t until recently that he re-entered the media spotlight, reminding the public that the issues that he kneeled to protest are still pervasive today.
Almost exactly two years since he initially kneeled on Sept. 3, Kaepernick posted his 30th anniversary “Just Do It” Nike ad via Twitter, which features a closeup black and white photo of his face with a caption reading, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Days later, an accompanying full commercial was released. The ad reignited the public controversy over patriotism, protesting, and civil rights that comes with the “Star Spangled Banner.” American consumers, divided again, were essentially forced to choose sides. Many supported the ad and Kaepernick’s message, while many threatened to boycott Nike for endorsing him. The NFL took no official stance, although it’s interesting to note that Nike has long been the official and exclusive manufacturer of NFL uniforms and apparel.
Social media erupted with videos of critics burning their Nike shoes and clothes and cutting the iconic swoosh off their socks, accompanied by the hashtag #BoycottNike. President Trump bashed the ad, calling it “a terrible message.” Supporters proudly wore Nike products, tweeting words of encouragement and approval about both the player and the company. Despite the boycotts, Nike experienced a 61% increase in sold-out items, including the women’s Kaepernick jersey. They also reportedly gained $43 million in media exposure, 75% of which was “neutral” or “positive.”
Some questions in this debate are subject to legal interpretation and will yield concrete answers. Some are subjective, reflecting where America is as a society today. The history of Americans boycotting consumer goods as a political act dates back to 1773, when Bostonians dumped British tea into the Harbor. The right to peacefully protest is laid out in our Constitution’s First Amendment, and will continue to be upheld as a tenet of American society, even when it clashes with private enterprise and the media. As with the example of Colin Kaepernick and Nike, Americans are left to decide where we stand.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/sports/colin-kaepernick-nfl-protests.html
https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/27/us/nfl-anthem-protest-race-trump-trnd/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/04/us/colin-kaepernick-controversy-q-and-a/index.html