Spike Lee Promotes Rally for Colin Kaepernick
Photos by Scott Cunningham/Getty, Erika Goldring/Getty
Last August, Colin Kaepernick made headlines when he kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality. He brought an uncomfortable discussion to the forefront of a sport that is largely devoid of political discourse and, consequently, to many living rooms, as his actions were debated by professional and armchair commentators alike. Now, Kaepernick is a free agent who has yet to be signed to an NFL team. Director Spike Lee sees this as the league’s way of silencing the quarterback. His response was to promote a rally for Kaepernick that will protest his status as a free agent.
— Spike Lee (@SpikeLee) August 8, 2017
Many news outlets took Lee’s tweet to mean that he had organized the rally, prompting the director to take to Twitter again and provide a little bit of clarification.
I Did Not Organize And Set Up This Protest. However I Still Support My Brother And His Stance On The Injustices In The USA
— Spike Lee (@SpikeLee) August 8, 2017
Kaepernick is facing extreme scrutiny for speaking out against injustice. It appears that teams are scared to sign the 29-year-old because his behavior is divisive. Some say that Kaepernick isn’t good enough for the NFL, which is questionable at best; even if Kaepernick’s athletic abilities really are the main concern, it sure seems like an awfully coincidental time to decide he isn’t fit to even ride the bench as a backup quarterback.
Whatever it may seem, divisiveness is not his goal. Per Kaepernick’s own words, “I love America. I love people. That’s why I’m doing this. I want to help make America better. I think having these conversations helps everybody have a better understanding of where everybody is coming from.”
The rally will be held on Aug. 23 at 5 p.m. local time at NFL headquarters in New York City.