If You Are A Person Of Color and Do Not Understand Kaepernick’s Protest then, You Have A Slave Mentality.

I was never much of a fan for Kaepernick as a football player. It has nothing to do with his talent, but just because I never paid attention to him. Recently, Kaepernick has gained a lot of media attention for his protest against oppression on Black people and people of color by sitting down during the National Anthem. Some argue he just did it for attention. His jersey became a top seller after the protest, but not everyone bought it to support him. There are plenty of videos online of people burning his jersey. And, his football career isn’t so hot right now, so that could be another reason to gain attention otherwise. Whether Kaepernick is a true defender of oppressed people of color, or his protest was just a fluke, I want to share how it made me feel.

Many people I know agreed that Kaepernick had the right to sit during the National Anthem (a song that supports the death of slaves), but many of them did not understand why he felt the need to protest against oppression on people of color. What baffled me was that people of color (non-African Americans) acted like Kaepernick was only for blacks. A Hispanic woman said that he only did it for publicity. Another Hispanic man argued that he read in the news a Black woman just got accepted to eight Ivy League Schools so how are we oppressed. I don’t know what year he thinks we live in, but integration in the school system was passed in 1964. I’m aware there is still oppression in the school systems, but a Black woman attending an Ivy League school has long been won.

Kaepernick specifically said that he sat down for the oppression of Black people AND people of color. It is a shame that people of color believe that Black people are the only ones oppressed. If any person of color thinks that they are less oppressed than Black people, or more favored than Black people, then you have a rude awakening coming. In fact, to even have a mindset to want to be favored by white people, or think that you’re better because you are “less oppressed” by white people is a slave mentality.

The fact that Donald Trump, a candidate for our president with an actual chance of winning, wants to build a wall to block immigrants, and wants to ban Muslims from entering the country means that all people of color should understand Kaepernick’s protest. You don’t have to agree with his method of protesting, but if you are a person of color and do not know why he protested, then you have a slave mentality.