In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, then a San Francisco 49ers quarterback, knelt during the national anthem, galvanizing a movement and sparking a national debate that still rages. And while the names of the recent past—Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland—continue with the names of today—Breonna Taylor and George Floyd—it was actually the story of a lesser-known victim of police brutality that originally propelled Kaepernick's activism.
In an interview with Paper, Kaepernick revealed that the shooting of 26-year-old Mario Woods by five San Francisco police officers in December 2015 made him realize he could no longer remain on the sidelines. He and his partner, Nessa, devised a plan that led to founding Know Your Rights Camp (KYRC), a multi-city traveling youth empowerment initiative for disadvantaged youth. His famous national anthem protests started in August 2016. Dozens of other NFL players, as well as athletes across America, ultimately joined him.
Here are 4 ways the former footballer works for social justice today:
1. Education
Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp aims to “advance the liberation and well-being of Black and brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.” The camp's programming centers on 10 points, including that Black and brown people have the right to be free, healthy, brilliant, safe, loved, courageous, alive, trusted, educated and most of all—to know their rights.
Its camps work in cities like Atlanta, Baltimore and New York City. So far, the campaign has touched more than 1,400 individuals across seven cities. In the midst of the pandemic, KYRC has helped raise more than $1 million for communities disproportionately affected. Kaepernick also personally contributed $100,000 to COVID-19 relief.
KYRC also recently partnered with Ben & Jerry's, a self-described "aspiring social justice company." New flavor Change the Whirled will honor Kaepernick's work.
2. Legal Defense and Bail Funds
The Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative started on the ground during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, providing legal resources to activists and protesters. It quickly spread nationwide, forming a sustainable partnership with the National Lawyers Guild with a $500,000 collaborative grant.
Meanwhile, KYRC partnered with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation and dedicated $1,000,000 toward wealth-based detention by matching $500,000 each in grants. To kick off the partnership, KYRC and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation dedicated $200,000 on the first round of grants to revolving community bail funds, including Michigan Liberation in Detroit and North Carolina Community Bail Fund in Durham.
3. Putting Pen To Paper
A social activist since his playing days, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar now regularly writes for outlets like Time and even Jacobin. Kaepernick recently joined Medium’s board of directors to write stories focused on race and civil rights in America. Abolition for the People, a series in partnership between Kaepernick Publishing and Medium publication LEVEL, focuses on writing for and about the lives of Black and brown men. Writing focuses on a "future that puts justice and the needs of the community first."
4. Philanthropy
In addition to Know Your Rights Camp, Kaepernick also established the Colin Kaepernick Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the primary focus of fighting oppression through education and social activism. Through the Million Dollar Pledge, Kaepernick committed $1 million to a few dozen organizations. Grantees included Mothers Against Police Brutality, School on Wheels and Youth Services, Inc. He also rallied the support of friends including Alicia Keys, J. Cole and the late Kobe Bryant, who matched his donations to raise an additional $400,000.
