how colin kaepernick persisted and left wypipo shook

Everybody raise a glass to this generation’s favorite agitator: Sir Colin Kaepernick!

Standing as the poster child for nonchalant resistance, Kaepernick took a knee and accelerated a revolution, and with today being his 30th birthday, naturally we must reflect on his greatness, his controversy, and why he gets these wypipo oh-so-triggered.

Some backstory: following his initial one-man protest last August, in which he began kneeling during the national anthem on national television, the former SF 49er’s quarterback ignited an overwhelming spirit of activism throughout the league and beyond.

By taking back his power he started a conversation–one that exposed the deep-seeded racism within the industry—and for a business that profits overwhelmingly off of the ability of the Black male body, the irony of Kaepernick’s reclamation was too much for white America to handle.

Fast forward to the turmoil of our political system, and the “President’s” tweets, and the old white owners of the NFL have declared freedom of expression on the field a threat, Football becoming yet another catalyst for racial tension across the country.

OK, now, first of all, not only do those opposed to Kaepernick’s actions obviously not know the original lyrics of this country’s anthem–see here–but ultimately this conflict is the product of racist people finding all kinds of excuses to condemn the oppressed for countering their oppression. That’s some tea.

Now, having opted out of the 49ers earlier this year, and being essentially blacklisted by the NFL entirely, Kaepernick is using his platform to change the narrative–and with the recently mounted Colin Kaepernick Foundation’s overall mission of “fighting oppression of all kinds globally, through education and social activism,” he continues to inspire youth and athletes all over the nation to take a stand by “taking a knee.”

Happy Birthday to a real one. We can’t wait to see what this next year brings!