Written by Nathan Makela
On Dec. 5, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Following Parks’ protest, Martin Luther King Jr. proposed a citywide boycott of public transportation in Montgomery in order to protest racial segregation. The boycott lasted over a year.
On Nov. 17, 1961, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People coordinated a nonviolent protest in Albany, GA, later coined the Albany Movement. The Albany Movement involved thousands of citizens once again peacefully protesting against racial segregation. In December of the same year, Martin Luther King Jr. joined in the protest, ending in his arrest.
On April 3, 1963, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized the Birmingham Campaign. A protest once again led by King Jr., along with James Bevel and Fred Shuttlesworth, the Birmingham Campaign was a nonviolent Civil Rights Movement carried out in one of the most racially segregated cities in this country. Birmingham police used high pressure hoses and attack dogs on the peaceful protesters. People of all ages were present, including children.
In August of the same year, MLK marched on Washington, D.C., with nearly 200,000 others, delivering his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
In 1965, Selma’s Bloody Sunday drastically highlighted the contrast between nonviolent protesters and the violent police, garnering wide support for the Civil Rights Movement across the U.S.
Historically, nonviolent protest has proved an effective method for change, but in the context of racial equality, the racial majority has always criticized it.
On Sept. 1, 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose to kneel during the national anthem before a preseason football game. Questioned about his decision after the game, he replied, “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.” Kaepernick received heated backlash for his actions.
First, the Santa Clara Police Union sent a letter to the 49ers, writing that if Kaepernick continues protesting, it could end in “police officers choosing not to work at [their] facilities.” A few days later, it was the San Francisco Police Officers Association sending letters to the 49ers and the NFL, asking them to denounce Kaepernick’s actions. Others have called him selfish and simply “begging for attention.” Some NFL fans posted videos burning Kaepernick jerseys.
To be clear, Kaepernick’s actions are protected under the First Amendment. In a press conference on Sept. 5, President Obama said Kaepernick was “exercising his constitutional right,” but also brought up perhaps the principal criticism of Kaepernick’s actions, noting that “when it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us—that is a tough thing for them to get past.”
What does the flag mean to you? While there is a strong connection between the American flag and the military, the flag flies here at home as well. The military is meant to protect the citizens of this country, and domestically, there are certain civilians who do not feel protected. There are certain civilians that are not protected. The flag stands for more than just the military. You can kneel during the national anthem while simultaneously respecting military veterans. In the weeks that followed Kaepernick’s initial decision to kneel during the national anthem, professional athletes all over the country joined in his protest. Patriotism seems a convenient excuse to easily disregard the actual message Kaepernick is trying to send.
People criticize the Black Lives Matter movement for the radical outliers who use violence to promote their cause, even though Black Lives Matter does not condone violence. When a black man uses his influence to protest peacefully, he is still criticized. Kaepernick is kneeling for a reason.
Two years ago in Cleveland, Ohio, we watched as 12-year-old Tamir Rice was executed by police less than three seconds after they exited their vehicle. Then Eric Garner. And Sandra Bland. Freddie Gray. Alton Sterling. Philando Castile. These are all names of unarmed black people executed by police officers with no repercussions, and that short list doesn’t even scratch the surface. In not one of these shootings was the guilty police officer convicted of a murder charge. As body cams become more common on police officers and civilians have better means to record police violence, this issue of police racism isn’t going to be ignored.
Police killed at least 102 unarmed black people in 2015 alone. Of these 102 cases, only 10 of the cases resulted in officers being charged with a crime, with only two cases resulting in convictions. 2015 saw unarmed black people killed at five times the rate of unarmed white people. In the same year, 37 percent of unarmed people killed by police were black, despite black people making up only 13 percent of the population. And this isn’t just about black people; Latinos in this country are also killed at a disproportionate rate to white people.
Kaepernick’s cause was reinforced by the shootings of Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott shortly after the 49ers’ Sept. 1 game. In response to the murder of Terence Crutcher, Kaepernick replied, “this is a perfect example of what this is about.”
This article is about the epidemic of police racism in this country, but on the broader spectrum, this is about police violence in general. Police are killing unarmed civilians every day, regardless of race, with little to no repercussion. This needs to be a race issue, but it’s also an issue that should inspire conversation about what the police’s role in our society is supposed to be in the first place. Police are supposed to protect. Police are neither the judge nor the jury. Even for a police officer, killing should be the last possible option. If there is proof that a police officer has unjustly killed, there needs to be consequence.
We are living in an era of heightened racial tension in this country, particularly with constant media coverage fueling the flames. While comparing Colin Kaepernick to the leaders of the Civil Rights era is controversial, the general idea stands. There is institutional racism happening in this country, and Kaepernick is using his exposure to bring attention to that fact without hurting anyone.
If you fail to see the legitimacy behind Kaepernick’s actions, you are the problem.
As Desmond Tutu said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”