Kaepernick's Individual Win and Black Collective Celebration - Why?

Hollywood has really done a number on us with its happily ever after, fairy tale endings.  We have been so conditioned by art imitating life that we have forgotten how things work in the real world.  Not only do we no longer have the ability to recognize what a real Black hero looks like, but we've now accepted and embraced a half black celebrity feigning sacrifice.

On September 6, 2018, Nike released its full "Dream Crazy" marketing campaign featuring the voice and image of controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.  In 2016, Kaepernick protested racial injustices and police brutality by taking a knee at each game during the US National Anthem.  Kaepernick was subsequently released from the San Francisco 49ers at the end of the season and has not been picked up by any NFL team since.

Kaepernick won the hearts of many Black Americans with his strong stance and refusal to bend after whites went on a propagandized tirade with accusations of his protest being unpatriotic, disrespectful to American troops, and threatened to boycott the NFL franchise for allowing players to blatantly disrespect the country.  In support of Kaepernick and the protest, several players began to follow suit and kneel during the anthem.  The protest gained enough traction to get the attention of President Trump who encouraged NFL owners to "fire the sons of bitches" in reference to the kneeling players.

More than two years after the end of Kaepernick's NFL career, Nike released this ad campaign with a universal theme of pushing for bigger dreams in the face of challenges and adversity and carried the tagline "Believe in something.  Even if it means sacrificing everything. #justdoit".  While quite inspiring and moving in theory, an endorsement from Nike doesn't exactly scream "sacrifice".  Much to my dismay, Black Americans jumped on the bandwagon and hailed this campaign as a "victory", vowing to purchase more Nike shoes and apparel as a response to Nike "doing the right thing".

While great news for Kaepernick, this savvy marketing campaign does not address the issue of racial injustice or police brutality.  We could spend hours speculating the possibilities and implications, but I prefer to stick with the facts -- any claim of victory without progress in these areas is extremely premature.  Our conditioning to seek white validation instead of demanding real change is at the root of this problem.  We have historically gone to great lengths for white approval and a positive message from a white-owned corporate giant like Nike is just the pat on the head many of us need to feel heard, even if no real action is taken.  Liberation for Black people will not come with a stamp of approval from whites.  If we continue to insist on getting their approval first, we will remain as slaves to the white supremacy system.

Real Black heroism doesn't look like the ending of an American movie.  It is much more painful, there are much greater sacrifices, and never a happy ending.  Let's look at just a few Black heroes and their sacrifices:

• Marcus Garvey - Founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, African Communities League, and the Black Star Line.  Garvey gave popularity to Pan African philosophy to inspire a global mass movement and economic empowerment focusing on Africa. On June 23, 1923 he was sentenced to five years in prison and a $1,000 fine (the equivalent of $15,000 today) for mail fraud.  He was deported back to Jamaica upon his release.
• Malcolm X - A courageous advocate for the rights of Blacks and a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against Black Americans. On February 21, 1965, he was assassinated.
• Patrice Lumumba - Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo. He played a significant role in the transformation of the Congo from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic.  Shortly after Congolese independence in 1960, a mutiny broke out in the army, marking the beginning of the Congo Crisis. Lumumba was subsequently imprisoned by state authorities and executed by a firing squad.
• Fred Hampton - deputy chairman of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and an effective leader and talented communicator.  Hampton was on the verge of creating a merger between the BPP and a South Side street gang with thousands of members, which would have doubled the size of the national BPP.  He was killed on December 4, 1969 during a raid of his apartment by the Chicago Police Department and the FBI.

These are just a few examples of what happens when you "do the right thing" and stand up for Black people.  Kaepernick's actions seem tame compared to the sacrifices these heroes made.  For the record, I'm not saying activism has to be a death sentence to be worthy of praise and accolades but our applause should be reserved for those who have made or are making efforts to improve the Black collective.  Before labeling anything a victory, we should ask ourselves: How does this help Black people collectively?  That is the standard.  The litmus test, if you will.  Our problems are too numerous to pause for meaningless individual victories that do not uplift, protect, or empower Black people holistically.  The revolution of moving Black people from our current status in society begins with revolutionary, collective, progressive thinking.

Let's get refocused on the initial goal to address racial injustices in our country.  Let's start a discussion on how we can collectively help Black people live their best lives.