Gateway Chronicle 2021

83
Hidden Voices
Colin Kaepernick
Like many people, I have been inspired by the Black
Lives Matter movement. I am proud to be part of
a generation that realises we need to take action
against racism across the world. On 12th June 2020,
in front of Westminster Lodge, close to St Albans
School, there was a sea of protesters in support
of Black Lives Matter. A protest also happened in
Market Place, St Albans. It made me proud to know
I was part of a community that was ready to stand
up to injustice.
The Black Lives Matter movement has led me to
discover Colin Kaepernick, born on the third of
November 1987. Kaepernick is mixed race, adopted
when he was young by a white family. His new
parents had had two sons who had both died from
heart defects and they wanted to adopt Colin. Being
not only talented in his studies, but also a star quarterback
in American football, Colin went to the University
of Nevada with a scholarship. He studied for
a business degree in college and was later drafted
by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. He led them to
the Super Bowl two years later.
Before a Packers-49ers pre-season game in 2016,
Kaepernick sat on the San Francisco bench whilst
the national anthem was playing. He said, “I am
not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for
a country that oppresses black people and people
of colour. To me this is bigger than football and it
would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”
This was not the first of his protests, but the first
that Colin had ever done wearing his team kit. The
second time Kaepernick decided to protest, one
of his teammates, Eric Reid, decided to join him
in kneeling down when the national anthem was
played. This has now become a worldwide symbol
of the Black Lives Matter movement.
So, what had inspired Kaepernick?
10 months previously, Kaepernick had been shocked
by the case of the San Francisco Police killing
26 year old Mario Woods. He formed a plan, the
‘Know Your Rights Camp’ for youth empowerment.
He talked of feelings of loss, pain and anger. The
killing of Woods was just the latest in a number of
similar cases.
Kaepernick is part of a tradition of protests. It can
be traced back to 1968, when two African-American
athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, raised
a fist in salute during the US national anthem at
the Mexico Olympics. Today, sportspeople continue
to use their influence to bring equality to
those in need. Many have been inspired recently by
Marcus Rashford’s campaign for free meals in the
school holidays and by Stormzy funding educational
scholarships. As a sign of just how far we have
come, in October 2020 there was widespread disapproval
with the Marseilles football team for them
not taking the knee when remembering Black Lives
Matter.
Colin Kaepernick, we salute you!
Alex Matchett 1.2