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Volume 1, Issue 8, 1970
Black Culture

Much will be said about Muhammad Ali in the coming weeks and months; already the floodgates are open. Many will claim him, too, as will we-he was a member of our board from 1974-1989. Rather than say too much, we will let him speak. So, from our archives we present a powerful interview from 1970. It is a classic, reflecting the passion and modes of analysis of its time but engaging topics of vital interest today: racism and gender, the role of Black celebrity, and the politics of pugilism.

We offer it as a gift to all our readers and supporters, just as it was a gift to us from someone who managed to outperform the promise of his own title, "The Greatest."
Access the entire interview here. Free through August 2016.

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In Memoriam: The Black Scholar Interviews Muhammad Ali (1970) - The Black Scholar

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Volume 1, Issue 8, 1970 Black Culture Much will be said about Muhammad Ali in the coming weeks and months; already the floodgates are open. Many will claim him, too, as will we-he was a member of our board from 1974-1989. Rather than say too much, we will let him speak.

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This article explores the intersection of sports and social activism in the wake of the police-involved death of Michael Brown. Traditionally, professional athletes have remained silent, or at the very best color-blind, regarding domestic social issues. It is customary for sports celebrities such as Michael Jordan to avoid compromising their status in the marketplace with politics, even when the social matter impacts males who look like them and unswervingly support their craft. Yet, in the wake of the death of Brown, several professional athletes, if only briefly, engaged in their own forms of activism. This article will implore a qualitative content analysis of mainstream media accounts and user-generated content to develop a case study on how Black professional athletes responded to police-involved deaths of Black men. In particular, the author will use the "data" to develop a case study on five St. Louis Rams athletes who staged a silent, pregame protest in the wake of the civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. The case study will include the response from the St. Louis police department and the National Football League. Fan-generated media content about the "Ferguson Five" will be used to analyze public perceptions of athlete activism. A grounded theory approach will be used to examine the immediate and intermediate prospect of civic involvement of professional athletes in social issues.

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"Hands up, don't shoot" or shut up and play ball? Fan-generated media views of the Ferguson Five

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(2016). "Hands up, don't shoot" or shut up and play ball? Fan-generated media views of the Ferguson Five. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Vol. 26, Police shooting of unarmed African American males: Implications for the individual, the family, and the community, pp. 400-412. doi: 10.1080/10911359.2016.1139990

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Two Baton Rouge police officers served suspensions in September for separate, racially-charged comments each made during the first week in May when the U.S. Justice Department decided not to pursue civil rights charges in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling.

As the city - and its police force - were bracing for protests in response to the federal decision about the case, in which a white police officer fatally shot Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, both a white and black Baton Rouge police officer made comments that offended another member of their agency, warranting discipline, according to the department's internal affairs division.

The white officer, Blaine Dupuy, was suspended for 20 days - from Aug. 26 to Sept. 14 - after an internal affairs investigation found he sent a text message May 4 with an animated photo depicting a chimpanzee along with the phrase, "I'va biggen CHIMP OUT," according to investigative documents. Dupuy sent the image to the 11-members of his squad in a group text message as they were discussing the possible protests.

Donald Steele Jr., a black officer in that group message, responded to the text, saying it was a racist term and reminded everyone that there were black people in the group text. He also said there are certain words he won't say around white people.

Steele then formally filed a complaint about the text message to internal affairs, saying he found it derogatory and racist.

The online Urban Dictionary defines "chimping out" as a slur describing "when a black person removes his/her facade as a civilized human being and releases his/her inner chimp; as in to start acting violent and out of control."

Dupuy has continually stated he "meant the phrase as a joke and had no idea that it could be considered racist," a letter from interim Chief Jonny Dunnam says.

Steele was also later suspended for three days beginning Sept. 1 following an internal affairs investigation that found during that first week in May he approached three fellow officers - one of Middle-Eastern descent and two white - in a convenience store and said: "I don't know why you hanging around them white folk, they don't want you," directing his comments to the officer of Middle-Eastern descent, investigative documents say.

Two of those three officers later submitted formal complaints to internal affairs, calling the comments "extremely offensive" and "unprofessional," according to the investigation.

No one interviewed by internal affairs could give investigators an exact date when the incident occurred except that it happened during the first week of May, though all three officers said they heard Steele's comments, the documents say.

Steele has denied ever making the statement, according to investigative documents. He is set to appeal the suspension Nov. 16 at the Municipal Fire & Police Civil Service Board.

The two officers who formally complained about Steele's statement also called it hypocritical.

"A double standard should not be in place when it comes to racial allegations and racial business," one of the complaints says.

However, Steele alleges the complaints about his conduct were in retaliation to his accusation against Dupuy.

"I think this is retaliation due to me writing a letter on his friend," Steele said during an internal affairs interview, according to the investigative documents. "If that incident did occur as he said it did, I believe he would have said something on that date and time and not wait until I wrote a letter on someone else on the squad."

Dupuy was placed on administrative leave May 18 so the internal affairs division could investigate the text message, according to the documents.

On May 23, the day after The Advocate published a story about Dupuy's investigation, the first officer filed a formal complaint that Steele had made the offensive comments. Two days later, the second officer filed a similar complaint, documents show.

One of the officers said he didn't come forward and complain about Steele sooner because he was "willing to swallow some pride," and see that "we are all blue," instead of skin color, according to the complaint. But, he said, "I feel this must be addressed at this time with the current investigation going on (about Dupuy's text)."

Dupuy, a three-year veteran of the force, was disciplined for violating policies regarding "command of temper, respect to fellow members and conduct unbecoming of an officer," according to the documents. Dupuy was off duty at the time of the incident.

Steele, an officer for the last two-and-a-half years, was disciplined for violating "command of temper," documents say. Steele was on duty at the time of the incident.

Both Steele and Dupuy have completed their suspensions and returned to work, said Baton Rouge Police spokesman Sgt. Don Coppola.

Dupuy could not be reached for comment Monday, and it was not clear whether he has an attorney.

Sgt. C. Bryan Taylor, the president of the Baton Rouge police union, did not return calls seeking comment.

Sgt. Myron Daniels, the Capital Area president of the Magnolia State Peace Officers Association who is representing Steele in his appeal of the department's discipline, declined to comment until after the appeal hearing.

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said she agreed with the disciplinary action taken.

"I stand by my original sentiment that blatantly racist messaging of any type is appalling," Broome wrote in a statement. "We will continue to study and implement best practices in all areas to ensure that our citizens are served by officers who understand and implement 21st Century policing practices and standards. This includes respecting the people they swear to protect and serve, as well as each other."
Editor's note: This story was updated Tuesday, Nov. 11 to include the statement from Mayor Broome.

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Two Baton Rouge police officers punished for racially-charged remarks; one after Alton Sterling probe

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Two Baton Rouge police officers served suspensions in September for separate, racially-charged comments each made during the first week in May when the U.S. Justice Department decided not to pursue civil rights charges in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling.

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Gil Scott Heron Black Wax complete concert

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Uploaded by Juan Cifuentes Jara on 2014-12-30.

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The latest debate over the national anthem came in response to Mr. Trump's comments during a rally in Alabama last week. He urged N.F.L. owners to fire players who did not stand for the anthem, saying they should "get that son of a bitch off the field right now." Many players, owners and the league took exception to Mr. Trump's harsh language. They responded by locking arms during the national anthem at Sunday's games, and many players and officials denounced the president for suggesting that peaceful protesters be fired.

But Ms. Ailith said the protests should not focus on the president, but on achieving racial justice in areas like policing, education, health care and the economy. Otherwise, she said, the efforts would amount to little more than symbolism.

"This becomes something that white people who think they aren't white supremacists do all the time," she said. "They like to hop on board a particular cause that allows them to dissociate themselves from racist American history."

It was up to social justice leaders to help focus the N.F.L.-centered activism, said Michael Skolnik, an entrepreneur and activist.

"From a movement perspective, it's critical as activists and as folks in the movement that we continue to message," Mr. Skolnik said of the array of groups that have emerged in recent years, including Black Lives Matter, aiming to change policies on issues like police training and oversight and criminal justice policies. "As much as Donald Trump wants to make it about him, this is not about him. This is about ending police brutality, fixing our criminal justice system and ending the killing of black men and black women by the police."

For Elle Hearns, an activist who has done organizing for Black Lives Matter, there is a contradiction in the N.F.L. being used as a vehicle for protest. It is an organization rooted in capitalism, a system that she said hurts and marginalizes black people. Several owners have contributed money to Mr. Trump, some have discouraged players from protesting during the national anthem and none has hired Mr. Kaepernick, who is now a free agent. Ms. Hearns and others said they wonder whether the league's owners are getting involved now because they fear that the president's comments will cause them to lose fans - and, by extension, money.

"There's still no collective defining of what it means for people in this country to be in unity when black people are continuing to be discarded," she said.

Ms. Hearns said she appreciated the movement that Mr. Kaepernick started, but was concerned by how people have responded. The focus, she said, needed to be less on celebrities, and more on marginalized people.

"This is great for symbolism, which America is great at," she said of the anthem protests. "But it's not great for actually providing equity."

If nothing else, activists see the N.F.L. debate as another platform to bring attention to issues that they have been pressing, particularly given the league's huge popularity and broad reach.

"I feel like there is an opportunity where we can use Trump as a pawn to start a conversation to talk about the ways in which white supremacy has permeated our society," Ms. Ailith said.

In the N.F.L., some players have taken concrete steps on matters of racial injustice. Mr. Kaepernick has donated $1 million to various charities. Malcolm Jenkins, a safety for the Philadelphia Eagles who has been raising his fist during the national anthem, has done a ridealong with the police and met with lawmakers in Washington. Anquan Boldin, a former N.F.L. wide receiver, retired from the sport to focus on activism.

Still, some activists find it disturbing that it took Mr. Trump's comments to lead many in the N.F.L. to get involved.

"I'm apprehensive that Charlottesville wasn't the match, that the killing of black and brown folks wasn't the match," said Wade Davis, a former N.F.L. player who works with athletes on social justice issues.

But Mr. Davis said Mr. Trump's remarks had cleared the way for more players to protest, removing some of the political stigma and economic pressure that had led some to steer clear of such issues.

Many of the athletes themselves came from backgrounds in which they were affected by racial injustice and watched their parents struggle, he said, even if they are now well-paid football players.

"These athletes are wrestling with something that is so deep, that is so real, they can almost touch going back into poverty," he said.

He said he hopes that the rush of protest now can remove some of those fears, and perhaps lead to a unified effort to combat racial inequality, adding: "I hope that one of the largest takeaways is players really see the strength that they have in numbers."

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police brutality  misconduct and shootings

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Black Lives or Bottom Line? Activists Ask What N.F.L. Protests Are All About

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The latest debate over the national anthem came in response to Mr. Trump's comments during a rally in Alabama last week. He urged N.F.L. owners to fire players who did not stand for the anthem, saying they should "get that son of a bitch off the field right now."

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Earlier this month, after a select group of NFL owners, players, and executives met for a much-anticipated meeting in New York City about the protests during the national anthem, the 12 owners in attendance met with the rest of the NFL owners to debrief them.

During that meeting, a small group of owners who feel that NFL players should be required to stand during the anthem expressed their frustration with the way the league as a whole was handling the divisive topic.

"We can't have the inmates running the prison," Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said, according to an explosive report by Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN's Outside the Lines.

ESPN says that McNair's statement "stunned some in the room." Troy Vincent, who had a 14-year NFL career and is now the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL, reportedly confronted McNair about his statement during the meeting.

"Vincent said that in all his years of playing in the NFL - during which, he said, he had been called every name in the book, including the N-word - he never felt like an 'inmate,'" Wickersham and Van Natta Jr. reported. McNair later apologized to Vincent personally, saying he did not mean that expression literally.

Obviously though, that is a loaded statement, especially given the fact that the players are kneeling during the national anthem to draw attention to police brutality and systemic racism, which the criminal justice system exemplifies. Seventy percent of all NFL players are black, as are nearly all of the NFL players who have taken a knee during the last two seasons. All but one of the 32 NFL owners are white.

The entire report by Wickersham and Van Natta Jr. is a must-read, as it details the inner workings of these high-stakes meetings. But the most revealing part is how the owners, even some who are empathetic to their concerns, talk about NFL players.

The meeting was going so well that even the unintentionally awkward moments were forgiven. At one point, Buffalo Bills co-owner Terry Pegula, moved by Anquan Boldin's story about his cousin being shot and killed by a police officer, complimented him on how impressive he was but kept calling him "Antwan." Then Pegula suggested that Boldin would be the perfect NFL spokesman on social issues not only because he had walked away from the game to pursue causes but because, the owner said, it couldn't be a "white owner but needs to be someone who's black."

Perhaps the most surprising part of the report is how NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handled the situation in private.

He did not let owners who were adamantly against the protests, such as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, completely derail the discussions. Instead, he encouraged owners to listen to the players concerns, and even showed support for a three-pronged action plan presented by Anna Isaacson, the NFL's vice president of social responsibility. The plan called for the league to broaden its My Cause, My Cleats initiative; help arrange more meetings between players and legislators, on the local, state, and federal level; and use the NFL's massive platform to amplify these causes. (Notably, ESPN reports that Goodell was not impressed with this plan when it was first presented to him, but advocated for it during the meeting with the players.)

But despite the fact that the discussion between the players and owners was seen as productive by both sides at the time, and the fact that the NFL owners did not unilaterally ban protests after these meetings, most players are still skeptical of the league's commitment to change.

This week, San Diego Chargers left tackle Russell Okung expressed frustration with the NFL's lack of action since the meeting two weeks ago.

"I am disappointed that further progress has not been reached on discussions with the league," Okung said Thursday, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. "NFL officials appear unmotivated and don't share the same sense of urgency. Increasingly, the meetings appear unproductive at best and disingenuous at worst. Furthermore, the ongoing disparagement of Colin Kaepernick is a factor needing remedy for the players and public to feel heard and for real progress to be made."

Kaepernick is suing the NFL owners for collussion, saying that they worked together to keep him out of the league this year because of the protests he ignited last year. Some NFL executives expect Kaepernick to attend the next meeting between NFL owners and players, which is scheduled for next Tuesday, October 31.

However, Okung and other players who attended last week's meeting might not be in attendance next Tuesday, because they have been so disappointed by what has (or, rather, has not) transpired over the last 10 days.

"I thought there were concrete plans to help," Okung said. "To my dismay, that wasn't true at all. It's only remained as just talking. There hasn't been any action."

UPDATE (10/28/17): McNair issued a public apology on Friday, saying he "regrets" comparing the players to inmates.

"I never meant to offend anyone and I was not referring to our players," he said in the statement. "I used a figure of speech that was never intended to be taken literally. I would never characterize our players or our league that way and I apologize to anyone who was offended by it."

Texans players are not happy with the owner, though. Star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins missed practice because of a "personal day," and Adam Schefter of ESPN reported his absence was directly related to McNair's comments.

Duane Brown said he wasn't surprised by Bob McNair's comments

- Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 27, 2017

And according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, all Texans players considered walking out of the building on Friday when the comments became public. While the team as a whole officially decided against a walkout, tensions remain high. Duane Brown told Wilson he was "very upset" and "sickened" by McNair's comments, and noted that players would continue to talk about how to respond.

Texans head coach Bill O'Brien told the press he is " 100 percent " with his players.

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NFL owner compares his players to 'inmates,' says they should not be permitted to protest

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Earlier this month, after a select group of NFL owners, players, and executives met for a much-anticipated meeting in New York City about the protests during the national anthem, the 12 owners in attendance met with the rest of the NFL owners to debrief them.

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Say the name Colin Kaepernick, and you're bound to get a broad range of responses. To some he is one that disrespects the flag, and those that serve it due to his protest last season of taking a knee during the National Anthem. For others he is seen as making a stand for those of color that are being held to a different standard than Caucasians. There is little middle ground on the subject other than to inject that how you view his performance as a quarterback in the National Football League as a matter of how much risk a club owner is willing to take on given what the flag and anthem represent in the U.S.

It's a polarizing subject. I can say as someone white I always stand for the anthem, but then again, I'm white. To try and say that this country is evenly measured on the issue of race is to ignore that there is white privilege. We still have a ways to go in terms of racial equality.

For a team that wishes to take the risk in signing Kaepernick, they have to weigh the anthem protest he's done (he has said that if he is picked up on an NFL roster he would no longer kneel) and whether the blowback from the signing is worth the talent he would bring to a squad.

While there is little doubting that there would be a loud cry of dissatisfaction from a percentage of the fans, there's a largely untold story about Kaepernick that is positive PR asset.

On Friday, the NFL Players Association named Kaepernick its Week 1 NFLPA Community MVP. The award by the union for the players was given due to his "commitment to empowering underserved communities through donations."

Kaepernick, who remains an unrestricted free agent, made a $100,000 donation on the first day of the season. In doing so, $25,000 each is going to four charities (DREAM which provides after-school programs and youth sports in the New York inner-city; Coalition for the Homeless; The Gathering for Justice's War on Children, and a new charity program called United We Dream which will address inequities and obstacles faced by immigrant youth.

This was not the first time he had made such a donation. It marked the ninth time he had done so. All told, he has pledged to donate $1 million of his own money to charities which range from the aforementioned groups, as well as 100 Suits for 100 Men, Meals on Wheels, and Home 2 Heart.

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Don't Ignore This Positive PR Twist To Colin Kaepernick

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Say the name Colin Kaepernick, and you're bound to get a broad range of responses. To some he is one that disrespects the flag, and those that serve it due to his protest last season of taking a knee during the National Anthem.

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https://www.gq.com/story/colin-kaepernick-will-not-be-silenced

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He's been vilified by millions and locked out of the NFL-all because he took a knee to protest police brutality. But Colin Kaepernick's determined stand puts him in rare company in sports history: Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson-athletes who risked everything to make a difference.

In 2013, Colin Kaepernick was on the cover of this magazine because he was one of the best football players in the world. In 2017, Colin Kaepernick is on GQ's cover once again-but this time it is because he isn't playing football. And it's not because he's hurt, or because he's broken any rules, or because he's not good enough. Approximately 90 men are currently employed as quarterbacks in the NFL, as either starters or reserves, and Colin Kaepernick is better-indisputably, undeniably, flat-out better-than at least 70 of them. He is still, to this day, one of the most gifted quarterbacks on earth. And yet he has been locked out of the game he loves-blackballed-because of one simple gesture: He knelt during the playing of our national anthem. And he did it for a clear reason, one that has been lost in the yearlong storm that followed. He did it to protest systemic oppression and, more specifically, as he said repeatedly at the time, police brutality toward black people.

When we began discussing this GQ cover with Colin earlier this fall, he told us the reason he wanted to participate is that he wants to reclaim the narrative of his protest, which has been hijacked by a president eager to make this moment about himself. But Colin also made it clear to us that he intended to remain silent. As his public identity has begun to shift from football star to embattled activist, he has grown wise to the power of his silence. It has helped his story go around the world. It has even provoked the ire and ill temper of Donald Trump. Why talk now, when your detractors will only twist your words and use them against you? Why speak now, when silence has done so much?

At the same time, Colin is all too aware that silence creates a vacuum, and that if it doesn't get filled somehow, someone else will fill it for him. In our many conversations with Colin about this project, we discussed the history of athletes and civil rights, and the indelible moments it called to mind, and we decided that we'd use photography-the power of imagery and iconography-to do the talking.

By the end of the 1960s, Muhammad Ali's stand against the Vietnam War-he'd marched in Harlem with the Nation of Islam after he was drafted and refused to serve-resulted in him being locked out of his sport for three years, at the peak of his talent, much as Colin is now. He continued to train throughout that period, waiting for his chance to return to boxing. He was known for jogging in the streets, and kids would chase him-the People's Champ, boosted in his darkest days by the joy of his truest fans. That's why we decided to photograph Colin in public, in Harlem, among the men, women, and children he is fighting for. To connect him to a crusade that stretches back decades. And because Colin has spent a year as a man without a team, we worked with him to assemble a new one: ten of his closest confidants-artists, activists, academics, and one legend of the civil rights movement-who shared with GQ what Colin's protest means to them, and what we all should do next.

Ava DuVernay

Filmmaker, Selma, 13th, and 2018's A Wrinkle in Time

I see what he's done as art. I believe that art is seeing the world that doesn't exist. A lot of people excel at creativity-making TV, movies, painting, writing books-but you can be an artist in your own life. Civil rights activists are artists. Athletes are artists. People who imagine something that is not there. I think some folks see his protests, his resistance, as not his work. Not intentional. Not strategic. Not as progressive action. As if this was just a moment that he got caught up in. This was work. This is work that he's doing.

The last time I saw him was the night after Trump called him out at the Alabama rally. It was a really dynamic weekend. I had dinner with him and Nessa [Kaepernick's partner]. To be able to sit with that brother on this particular day-on the day between two historic cultural moments that swirled around him-was shape-shifting for me. Being able to observe that and witness his stillness and wisdom-I'm just really honored to know him. He's sitting there and I'm sitting there and I'm like, "Look at this brother-he's doing better than any of us would've done." A lot better. With a lot more elegance.

Carmen Perez

Activist, executive director of The Gathering for Justice, which addresses mass incarceration and child incarceration

What I always tell people is, I could teach you about the law, I could teach you about the criminal-justice system-but I can't teach you how to have heart. We don't need a movement full of experts. We need people who care deeply to stand up and offer what they have, because there's a role for everyone. You make music? Make some for the movement. You cook? Organizers need to be fed. You teach self-defense or yoga? Help people heal. You're an athlete? Use your platform to raise awareness. It's not about everyone trying to become the next Martin Luther King Jr., because he had clergymen and journalists and artists like Harry Belafonte. It's about how we connect to our neighbor and offer our skill set. As Mr. Belafonte has said: Don't pay me back-pay it back to the cause.

I want people to understand that even if incarceration doesn't personally impact you, or police brutality doesn't personally impact you, you can still be involved. How can we show these mothers who are suffering that we love them and we care about them? I often ask: Can we see our liberation bound to one another's? I'm a proud Mexican-American and Chicana who deeply believes that black lives matter and that once black people are free, then my people will be free.

Colin and I met years ago. I am-I was-a big 49ers fan. I met him during his breakout season. I actually went to the first game he really played in, against the Jets. I just happened to be at that game. It hit another level for me the second I learned he was taking a knee. And it wasn't just that-it was when I saw the shit he was saying in the interviews when they pressed him about it. His answers were just so clear and potent. Like, right on point. And he wasn't backing down. And he wasn't afraid. He was just being honest. And it didn't seem like he was looking for attention. It caught me off guard because, you know, nothing personally against him, I just didn't know when I met him that the person with the biggest balls in sports would be him.

You're talking about a guy in his athletic prime, who's lived his whole life dreaming about playing football at a level that millions of kids dream to get to. And in his first big season, he takes his team to within five yards of winning a Super Bowl. But then, at some point in time, he becomes conscious about what's happening in the world. And suddenly something that he's been doing blindly for his whole life-standing for the national anthem-now feels uncomfortable. Why? Because now it feels phony! It feels like, Man, how can I stand for this thing when this country is not holding itself true to the principles it says it stands for? I feel like we're lying. And look what happens to him. Had he not done that, this guy would be making millions of dollars right now. Period, point blank. And more important than the money, he was living his dream. He sacrificed his dream.

Tamika Mallory

National co-chair for Women's March; activist on issues related to women's rights, health care, anti-violence, and ethical police conduct

My position is that people should not be watching football right now, while we're in the middle of this, because we don't need to add to their ratings. We need to ensure that we're not on social media talking about the game as if Colin Kaepernick is not still up for deliberation. Now, I have some family members who have said to me that they don't agree. But if everybody agreed about everything, our society wouldn't be as diverse. And I think that where an opinion turns into the oppression of another human being, or a group of people, that's where we must draw the line. Some people want to argue, "But the national anthem may not be a place for this because this is about all of us as Americans, the American dream, and American freedom." And then I have to give them the history of the third verse that Francis Scott Key wrote, which refers directly to us as slaves, and being unable to escape the wrath of slave owners. When I bring that to them, they begin to understand.

Ameer Hasan Loggins

Writer and U.C. Berkeley academic, lecturer, onetime Bay Area hip-hop icon

Colin is just a learned person. If you really sit and talk to him, he is a seeker of knowledge. One time I just happened to mention, "Yo, I teach class at Berkeley," and he was like, "I'm gonna come through." I was like, "Yeah, all right." And he did. He did so in a way that showed me a lot about his character. He didn't just come through like, "I'm Colin Kaepernick." He had his little notebook, he had his pencil, he was taking notes, he was participating, he was reading the texts. He was on time to every class, making that trip from San Jose.

His protest has exposed the truth about a lot of people in the NFL, even while he hasn't said anything. I think people underestimate the tactical brilliance involved in that. I understand why people want him to speak out. I understand that. I think they should take the time to understand why he hasn't.

I think that Colin's convictions provide him with comfort. A comfort that some of us are uncomfortable with, because we're mad for him. We're upset to see somebody who gives a damn being treated so poorly.

It's a problem that we've decided the conversation leans on "Does Colin want to be an activist, or does he want to be an athlete?" As if the two cannot happen simultaneously. You can care about people and play sports. Athletes do it all the time. The problem is that his particular activism was toward the cause of blackness. That's what he's being ostracized for. You see players talk all the time about their nonprofit organizations, their donation to this foundation they work with. Nobody's talking about them not being able to juggle their football careers and being helpful to the community. It's only with him that it's questioned. The irony now is that the NFL is trying to make him voiceless because he made himself a voice for the voiceless. Which is one of the reasons I'll die on that sword to defend what he has done. Because he did it for the people.

Safety for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick's former teammate, and the first NFL player to join him in kneeling during the anthem

My goal this year has been to get the narrative back on track. We started having communications with the NFL, and they said they're going to help us make progress on these issues. But the next step is to get Colin back in the NFL. Because he's the one that started this. I think we're finally getting where me and Colin envision this going. Now it's time for him to get back in the league.

These issues are real, and people know they're real. But some will do anything to distract from that, to change the narrative, and it's gotten Colin blackballed from the NFL.

The Bible talks very explicitly in Proverbs about being the voice of the voiceless and speaking up for the vulnerable. Another verse is: "Faith without works is dead." I guess selfishly I'm trying to get to heaven.

Christopher Petrella

Writer and scholar at Bates College

In my view, the most pernicious element of white backlash against Colin's protest has been the way in which the narrative has been co-opted and re-framed so that taking a knee is now somehow synonymous with disrespecting the flag, with a lack of patriotism. The American flag is not a neutral ideology-it represents something very, very specific to most folk. When someone comes along and tries to point out the history, for instance, of the national anthem, or the emergence of the American flag and its various iterations over time, and asks very difficult questions of "an adolescent country"-that's a James Baldwin phrase-it becomes uncomfortable. You may recall Ruth Bader Ginsburg's comments last year, when Colin started his protest. Someone who's known as a fairly liberal, left-leaning, or moderate, or whatever terms you wanna use, Supreme Court justice called his protest "dumb and disrespectful." Which is fascinating, because many folks have pointed out that politicians on the right, obviously those in the White House, have been very critical of these protests. But often it's bipartisan.

I think it was Howard Thurman, a modern civil rights activist and educator, who said, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive." What the world needs is for people to come alive. In a lot of ways, Colin operates through that unspoken philosophy. My hope is that Colin's protest will help mainstream white America to come alive to the deep injustices of our time and of our nation's history. That's the beginning of what the world needs.

Linda Sarsour

Activist, co-organizer of the Women's March on Washington, former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York

An activist is anyone who cares about something and has a talent that they're willing to put toward it. Every single one of us needs to prioritize: What is it that touches your heart the most? Is it the killing of unarmed black people? Is it domestic violence against women? Is it immigration and protecting undocumented people?

I always tell Colin: "You are an American hero. You may not feel like a hero right now, but one day, people will realize the sacrifices that you made for so many others." There might even be a day when we'll be walking down Colin Kaepernick Boulevard and people will remember what Colin Kaepernick did, just like we remember Muhammad Ali. And I truly believe that in my heart.
Nationally syndicated radio host/TV personality, American Muslim who works in communities for social justice, and Kaepernick's partner of nearly three years
Colin has always been helping people, he has always been involved, because he has empathy. Empathy was a reason why he was adopted: His parents-two of their children had passed away from heart defects. It's why he helped so many young children with heart defects get proper care-he's been doing that for years. I'm very fortunate that I have Colin next to me. It's everything. We love each other, we care for each other, and we have to remind each other that, hey, we're doing our part, we're trying to make a difference.

As long as you're educated and you have the facts, get into those discussions about race. Have those conversations. I don't care how intense they get. You need to let Uncle Whoever and Auntie Whoever, who might feel a certain way, who might be racist or prejudiced, know that it's not right and it's not okay. Their beliefs are never based on facts. It's always opinions or lies or misinformation, and that is where you can make a difference-by helping them get educated. Just know that it's probably going to be a fight at first, and be okay with that. You know, your Thanksgiving might not be that good this year. Your Christmas might not be the best because we just had an argument. But you know what? It's okay, it's all right-that's what families do, anyway. And why would you want a family member out there sounding ignorant? So it's fine, we're going to fight over the eggnog, and that's just what it is. We may not see eye to eye, but I did my part, sharing the truth, because that's all you can do. Be just in an unjust room.

Harry Belafonte

Artist, activist, legend

In my 90th year of life, to see people like Colin Kaepernick having gotten the message and carrying the cause forward is the greatest reward I could ask for. Colin is a remarkable young man. The fact that he spoke out on police brutality against young black men-I thought it was absolutely admirable. I'm prepared to do anything it takes and whatever steps I can to support him if this insanity continues.

And this is not just confined to black athletes-any person with a high profile has to consider their responsibility to help keep the nation honorable and honest. After all the courageous things that have been done by so many courageous people, it's a cop-out to not speak up. Trump has betrayed our nation. Taking a shot at him is worthy of all of us. Not being "political" is not a solution. Any young person who takes that position would have to ask Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson and so many of us if we had anything at stake. I know how someone who is young can get the feeling that this is the worst things have been. I see how someone could think that. But it's going to be okay. Even in the Trump era, America is going to be okay.
Interviews conducted by Ashley Fetters, Christopher Gayomali, Mark Anthony Green, Lauren Larson, Ira Madison III, Kevin Nguyen, Luisa Rollenhagen, Bijan Stephen, and Jay Willis. This story originally appeared in the December 2017 issue
Colin Kaepernick Visits Harlem for his GQ Men of the Year Moment

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He's been vilified by millions and locked out of the NFL-all because he took a knee to protest police brutality. But Colin Kaepernick's determined stand puts him in rare company in sports history: Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson-athletes who risked everything to make a difference.