Colin Kaepernick’s decision to oppose the National Anthem Friday night by sitting during it’s playing wasn’t a one time thing. The QB has made it clear that he will continue to take a stand by sitting until “things change.”
Kaepernick is also reinforcing his message by his choice of clothing apparently. During a press conference Monday, he chose to wear a shirt idolizing communist Cuban leader Fidel Castro and a hat alluding to that of Malcolm X.
Damn, just seeing this. Kaepernick wore a Fidel Castro tshirt after failing to stand for national anthem. Castro! pic.twitter.com/PKDWE46GYm
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) August 29, 2016
Nothig says “fight oppression” like Fidel Castro on a tshirt. #kaepernick pic.twitter.com/F8ZAz2U4ek
— E. Bertran (@enrbertran) August 29, 2016
The main staple world for Kaepernick’s argument has been oppression. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder,” he reasoned.
At this point, Kaepernick has given no statements on the matter and t’s not quite clear why he would chose depictions of Castro on a shirt, one of the most oppressive figures in history. The notorious Cuban communist leader was a man who committed more human rights violations in his life than almost any leader, and a man responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people of all races, someone who lead a regime who would kill its citizens trying to flee the country. It’s likely Castro is being used by Kaepernick as a symbol for how he feel’s the Untied States treats blacks and others of color.
Another reason for Kaepernick to wear the shirt would be referencing Castro’s lesser-known fight against social segregation and anti-discrimination laws which he issued. Castro was vital in Cuba’s movement to close the class gap between wealthy white Cubans and Afro-Cubans, with campaigns to increase literacy in lower classes among other egalitarian reforms in the early and mid-1960s.
You can see the entire interview here:
