On the heels of President Trump calling all players who takes a knee during the National Anthem “sons of b***hes”, and Mike Ditka telling them to “…get the hell out [America that is]”, Colin Kaepernick still remains a free agent. Sports commentators such as Fox Sport’s Shannon Sharpe believe that he is good enough to be on a NFL roster, and the only reason he’s not on a roster is because of the protests. Fans and racial injustice activists and sympathizers are outraged that he still has not been signed, but there is one major idea that everyone is overlooking, maybe even Kaepernick.
Famous athletes are Employees. Which means that they are bound by the regulations and guidelines outlined by their employer. Which in his case is the National Football League. So, if the NFL says no taking knees during the National Anthem, then unfortunately no taking knees during the National Anthem if you’d like to keep your job. No matter how unjustly black people are being treated in this country.
This huge but obvious oversight is not unique to this recent protest of police brutality and racial inequities in this country. This was true during the Civil Rights Era as well. Yes, there should be laws on the books to prevent institutions from overtly discriminating against people who do not fit profile of contemporary America, but we should not be naive either.
Currently black people do not have any tangible means in place to force America to abide by any law or agreement made in the favor of black people. Therefore, we should move as such. Which means that if we want to be treated fairly and justly in our places of work and neighborhoods, then we have to own and operate our own institutions. There is a thin line between protesting and begging. Which is why the protests should only be a part of the solution, not the solution itself.
In the case of Colin, it is now time for him to take this campaign to the next level. The most powerful move he could make is to publicly withdraw his name from being considered for a job in the NFL. Not only would this be the ultimate act of defiance for the system and its supporters, it would set a new precedent of independence both economically and politically in the black community.
Too often we settle for acceptance as the victory instead of empowerment. We have to get out of the business of twisting “Lady Liberty’s” arm to do something she really doesn’t want to do. Colin Kaepernick now knows where the NFL and its owners stand on this issue. Their silence speaks volumes. So, if I was Colin I would dust off my Business Degree from The University of Nevada Reno, and delve into to the closest thing to the land of the free that one can get to in this country, Entrepreneurship.
-HAR