Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, recently took a stand against racial and social injustice by giving voice to victims of police brutality and remaining seated during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner. He has since been on the receiving end of disapproval and praise from law enforcers, soldiers, entertainers, politicians, journalists and citizens.
Moms of Black Boys (MOBB) United stands with Colin Kaepernick! We are a diverse group of nearly 140,000 members who have been saddened and angered by the leaders in politics and law enforcement who are using Kaepernick’s stance as a distraction from the real issue – law enforcement accountability for unwarranted acts of violence committed against Black citizens.
According to Mapping Police Violence, Blacks are three times more likely to be killed in an encounter with the police; compared to their white counterparts. And yet, only three percent of officers in these cases are held accountable. Instead of being responsive to the statistics which demonstrate a need for change, some law enforcement leaders are blaming Kaepernick for contributing to a growing climate of mistrust between law enforcement and people of color. MOBB United believes that his actions merely shine a spotlight on an issue that has persisted for far too long.
As a result of the lack of accountability in law enforcement, Kaepernick grew disenchanted by The Star-Spangled Banner–a song he believed, along with many others, represented individual freedom and liberty. An interesting fact that continues to be ignored (much like the existence of police misconduct), is the verse in this song that torments [mocks] Black slaves who dared to fight for their individual liberties. The grievances against Kaepernick’s stance strike a very similar tone.
MOBB United stands with Kaepernick and all other individuals of influence who continue to keep this issue in the spotlight. We stand with individual citizens who continue to support police accountability and the ideals of individual liberty in the U.S. Constitution.
Who: MOBB United is a movement and organization that started as a Facebook group founded by Depelsha McGruder on July 7th, as a space for her and 30 of her friends to share concerns, fears and propose solutions to the challenges their son’s face. Today, less than two months later, the Facebook group has grown to over 138,000 members and has developed into an organization. These moms, representing every race, age, socioeconomic background, marital status and education level, are united in the goal of preventing and prosecuting the harassment and unwarranted use of deadly force against Black boys and men.
#ThankYouKAP #MOBBUnited
