One year ago today, Beto O'Rourke spoke out in passionate, powerful defense of popular NFL quarterback and Super Bowl champion Colin Kaepernick's protest of police violence against POC.
This viral video launched Beto into the national spotlight and possibly changed the course of world history as Beto continues to speak out and tell the stories of racism against non-whites in American history, connecting the dots of Trump's racism with a rise in hate crimes and increasing threat of domestic terrorism spreading through White Nationalists.
Take a knee
Colin Kaepernick's signature kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games quickly inspired other players and whole teams, drawing more attention to police shootings/violence against POC and provoking controversy in politics that made his protests a national debate. This brilliant protest movement will go down as the most successful public awareness campaign by a pro athlete in history, the most powerful, brave stance ever taken by a pro athlete since Olympic Champion and 4 gold medal track star Jesse Owens refused to shake hands with Trump idol Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Olympic games in 1936.
Kaepernick explains
In the 50 years since the struggles of the Black Panther movement, "what has changed?" Kaepernick told Paper.
"Oscar Grant, Rekia Boyd, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice," he said, ticking off names of people killed by police in recent years. "Laquan McDonald, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray. The Panthers' demands are still alive today because the police are still killing us today."
Kaepernick founded Know Your Rights Camp, advocating 10 rights that empower vulnerable populations:
Our mission is 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.
His protest movement and his advocacy for POC is still going strong. His Twitter is worth a visit today if you get the chance.
We're all in this together!