Former 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is known for speaking out on social issues. The world knows about the kind of outrage he caused when he took a knee when the national anthem was playing during a preseason game a few years back.
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Since then, a lot of people have expressed a lot of different opinions about Colin. Back in 2020, Colin was adamant when it came to not only speaking on issues but also suggesting solutions to get rid of the social injustices.
Demonstrating his commitment to speak out against social injustice, racism, and police brutality, back in October 2020, the free-agent NFL quarterback published an essay in which he called for the abolition of police.
The essay was part of a series called “Abolition for the People,” which was created in collaboration with Kaepernick Publishing and “LEVEL,” a Medium publication that focuses on the lives of Black and Brown men.
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Story Of Colin Kaepernick’s Controversial Essay On Abolition Of Police
In his essay “The Demand for Abolition,” Kaepernick argued that institutions of justice should focus on people’s well-being rather than their control. He bemoaned the lack of progress and the ongoing killings of unarmed black people by police since he began protesting in 2015.
In the end, Kaepernick wrote, “I understood that seeking reform would make me an active participant in reforming, reshaping, and rebranding institutional white supremacy, oppression, and death.”
“By abolishing policing and prisons, we can not only get rid of white supremacist institutions, but also make room for budgets to be reinvested directly into communities to deal with mental health issues, homelessness and houselessness, educational access, job creation, and community-based methods of accountability,” he had written.
In 2015, Kaepernick became a household name when he took a knee to show his opposition to American police brutality against Black people during the playing of the national anthem.
He was playing quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers at the time, but he hasn’t been signed since the 2015 season. Players across the country have been taking a knee during the national anthem as a result of his silent protest.
These protests have sparked a lot of disagreement, with many calling for players to be banned from participating if they protest. The NFL initially demanded that players either stand or remain in the locker room, but Commissioner Roger Goodell later declared that the league erred by forbidding players from engaging in nonviolent protest.
