“Kneeling for Justice: Kaepernick’s Demonstration.”
For former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick, his knee struck a nerve across America. Kaepernick, a talented quarterback, decided months ago to take a knee during the national anthem to bring attention to police terrorism against black people.
He is paying a steep price for his principled activism and protest in ways non-athletes can barely conceive, for professional athletes aren’t just guys and gals playing in a sport for entertainment. Elite athletes, especially at the professional level, have spent much of their lives, even as far back as high or middle school age, to build their bodies to perfect their craft. This single-minded devotion to a sport creates a focus that few of us ever achieve.
That Kaepernick is sacrificing his professional career in the face of NFL hostility speaks well of the man. His sustained protest brings to mind the anti-war efforts of the late Muhammad Ali who, because his license to box was taken from him, was denied the ability to perform his craft when he was at the very top of his game. He lost surely for a time, but so did his millions of fans.
Similarly, track and field athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith ran and won their races at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. Smith and Carlos were subjected to years of repression after they raised their fists in Black Power salute during the medal ceremonies. Colin Kaepernick follows in that proud and principled tradition, for by taking a knee, he is standing for justice for millions whose voices can’t be heard.
From imprisoned nation, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
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