Activist Aaron Baldwin joined me last night to discuss the recent controversy surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’ decision to not stand during the singing of the national anthem during football games.
After last Friday’s pre-season game where Kaepernick remained seated during the anthem, he told reporters, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Folks across the country called Kaepernick out for being “unpatriotic.” On social media, there were calls for Kaepernick to leave the country if he’s not happy here. Others called him a wealthy athlete who is disconnected from average America.
One the other side of the debate, however, there are lots of folks who say Kaepernick has a right to free speech. And a hashtag – #VeteransForKaepernick – has been trending on Twitter lately.
Thursday night, during the 49ers game with the San Diego Chargers, he took a knee with team mate Eric Reid during the national anthem. After that game, he announced he will be donating $1 million to communities of need.
Listen below as Aaron and I look at how this is being played out between sports fans across the country.
