Former quarterback Colin Kaepernick finds the social developments in the USA in recent years to be “brutally frustrating”. Everyday racism and prejudice against individual population groups have reached a level “that I did not expect,” said the former NFL star in an interview with GQ Germany: “Numerous efforts have been made to make the situation even worse and progress has been made.” that have been made, to be undone.”
Kaepernick has played a pioneering role in the fight against racism, injustice and police violence for years. The playmaker was the first NFL professional to kneel in protest while the US national anthem was playing before a game in preparation for the 2016/17 season. Kaepernick thus became a face of the global Black Lives Matter movement.
Kaepernick continues to hope for an NFL comeback
“We managed to get so many people to stand up and say that things can’t go on like this. That so many people are becoming aware of this problem – and at the same time the problem is getting bigger. “That worries me a lot,” emphasized the 36-year-old.
There was a feeling of optimism, “that everything is moving in the right direction, that something can actually change now and that we are all moving towards a better future. But at the same time, 2022 was the year in which the most people were killed by police officers – in US history. So the situation got worse.”
Kaepernick, who led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2012/13 season, apparently lost his contract in 2017 as a result of his protest. Since then, the quarterback has been waiting for a comeback in the NFL. The then US President Donald Trump, among others, condemned and denigrated the rebellious stars.
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Kaepernick emphasized that his ultimate goal is to “improve the lives of the people around me and the entire Black community.” “It’s not always the easiest path that I take, but it clearly sets the direction.”
