An open letter to Black America: Rally ‘round Colin Kaepernick

by J. Bernard Harris

Sitting here composing this brief narrative, what I’m feeling is what I will call righteous indignation. It’s not about the injustices that I as a Black man have endured, nor about those heaped upon my race. Neither is it about a system whose life blood is founded upon the denigration and vilification of my race and whose ultimate objective is the destruction of the Black race.

Today it is not about racial profiling; neither is it about driving while Black. Nor will I declare it is about the inequities of a system whose wealth was derived from the blood, sweat and tears of a people whose contribution go unacknowledged and unrecognized in general.

Today there will be no protestation of the murder of innocent men and women of color in this nation – who are murdered by men and women who don uniforms daily who then declare their single purpose is to protect and serve. The rationale for such behavior is predicated upon some fictional imagining that people of my race are criminals or have a propensity towards criminal behavior.

What I’m feeling is what I will call righteous indignation.

At this moment in time I will not hurl accusations at the dominant group, except to shine a light upon its glaringly unjust behavior towards a group of people whose loyalty to this nation is impeachable.

Moreover, I’m not lamenting how blatantly our contributions to this nation are ignored – remember “Hidden Figures”? Neither will I on today call on the God of all for relief. I think we have worn him out begging that he do for us what we must do for ourselves.

As I said in my preface, I’m feeling righteous indignation at the fact that I live amongst a group of people whose response to problems that afflict us all is reactive rather than proactive. How can we turn a blind eye to the plight of a young man who has sacrificed his wealth, his fame, his stature and standing in the world of pro athletes to bring attention to the slaughter of young Black men by the police across this nation?

Today this man has not found a job, and we are preparing to go into another season of gladiatorial combat for the masses. When what we should be saying is, we will not watch a game or buy a ticket until this young man is picked by another team and given the money he deserves along with the respect of us all that he has earned.

How can we turn a blind eye to the plight of a young man who has sacrificed his wealth, his fame, his stature and standing in the world of pro athletes to bring attention to the slaughter of young Black men by the police across this nation?

Could it be our relative wealth and supposed freedom has caused some of us think we have it made? Moreover, to be free is to move about unmolested. To be free is to be able to avail one’s self of any opportunity that society provides. To be free is to have the freedom to exercise your so called constitutional right to dissent whenever we feel those rights are being misapplied or tampered with.

Maybe it’s our fear of reprisal that keeps us from speaking out and up when those amongst us have the courage do so. It’s not you or I today, but make no mistake: We are not so far removed from yesterday that it cannot be you or I today.

What we should be saying is, we will not watch a game or buy a ticket until this young man is picked by another team and given the money he deserves along with the respect of us all that he has earned.

Need I remind you that going from biscuits in hand to biscuits in a can is no reason to think you have arrived; going from mule’s back to Cadillac is no reason to forget our horrific origins in this nation.

Now that we have a president who has declared that not only do Black lives not matter, but that he is hell bent to send us back to a time when the dominant group could beat, kick and kill us with impunity.

My premise is a simple one: Why are we not rallying around Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco football player and quarterback?

Colin Kaepernick has earned our love, our trust and support.

Colin Kaepernick did what we all should be doing.

Colin Kaepernick deserves better. If we do not give it to him, he will not get it.

Colin Kaepernick is worthy of emulation.

Colin Kaepernick made a supreme sacrifice.

My premise is a simple one: Why are we not rallying around Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco football player and quarterback?

Bernard Harris writes from Saginaw, Michigan, and can be reached at [email protected].