Last night and this morning I found myself feeling overwhelmed and frustrated....
Frustrated from reading all the negative comments regarding Nike's decision to back and support Colin Kapernick...
Frustrated to read what was nothing more than not so subtle hate.. I read the comments that people who want to constantly twist a man's respectful and peaceful protest and make it something that it is not.
I hear the arguments of people who feel Colin is ruining the game or football is not the platform to use your voice or you need to just play...
What I do not hear is any of these people trying to understand..and honestly all of these "people" who feel this way are NEVER going to EVER be in the position of the people that Colin is protesting for.
Racial equality for some people seems insignificant unless you are in the race that is the minority.
When I read the comments about Colin, when I hear the comments made by the buffoon of a president, it feels like we are rolling back the time and reverting to a point in history when racism was far less subtle than we had gotten of late.
When I read the comments, I feel like we are two steps away from having separate schools, separate water fountains and guess what interracial marriages like my own being made illegal.
That divisive thought, that inability to show empathy and understand where Colin is coming from is the same thought that continues to allow the racists and hate to fester and grow...because the majority is unwilling to hear the minority and understand that the experience of the majority is not the experience of ALL.
I love the people who try to use images such as Pat Tillman to say that's a man who truly sacrificed everything and try to use him as propaganda in their twisted game and YET his widow and his family ..you know the ones that knew him and love him have said he would have supported Colin taking a knee for racial injustice and would have been right along with him. I love that people choose to not hear and acknowledge that Colin went and spoke with Vets who do support him and he takes a knee because they told him that kneeling is a sign of respect.....
But NO-people's hate continues...
People argue football is not an okay platform...Anyone who has been given a platform was given it for a reason and just because they are using it to further a cause that makes you uncomfortable doesn't make them wrong or you right. Using your platform is no different than having a retired player at an event to draw a crowd or having celebs make appearances to increase ticket sales
people have been using their platform FOREVER and will continue
Why are folks more in an uproar about their football than they are about police brutality and school shootings...
I love that folks want to boycott Nike now...well guess what genius people...the NFL just signed a contract with NIKE that goes to 2028....
Guess who is laughing now...Oh wait did I say it...the NFL..the same NFL that Colin used to play for and people don't want him to kneel at an event...well yup they are partnering so you can boycott your Nike but are you also going to boycott watching Football...
and if you do....SO what!!!
As a black person this is just hurtful ..it hurts and it makes me wonder ..WHAT NEXT!!!!
Do I feel better after my rant?
Nope not really!
Racism is the wound that doesn't heal and it keeps getting bumped and bleeding again
Racism for some can be ignored
Racism for others is a fact of life
I think about when I have a biracial child...how the world will see him/her...how will they see themselves
I can't fix this but this is a topic close to my heart....so I will just pray that the power of love continues to be stronger than the power of hate...
