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By Rickey Hampton, Editor and Founder of The African-American Athlete
You may not know it, understand it, or even believe it. But Black America is facing a ‘put up or shut up’ moment in the next few weeks.
The NFL believes it can disrespect America’s black community by not only ‘whiteballing’ Colin Kaepernick, but bringing back a certified racist, Hank Williams Jr._ who compared President Obama to Hitler _ to perform the opening to its signature regular season event, Monday Night Football.
The NFL thinks that despite those acts of disrespect, Black America will still come flocking into the stadiums, buying NFL gear, and supporting their favorite teams.
Well, I will not give them the satisfaction. I will not be attending any NFL games this year. I will not do business with any company that does business with the NFL. I will not buy any NFL gear. Hell, I am going to even forgoe wearing my favorite Lions’ cap this fall.
Now, this is just what I plan to do, on a personal level. (The AfricanAmericanAthlete.com will continue to report on the men who play in the NFL, and issues of the day related to the NFL. We must continue to amplify the message of the African American Athletes in the NFL)
I hope _ if you believe Kaepernick’s issue is an injustice _ you will find a way to show your dissatisfaction. I think there are several ways to do just that.
If you got season tickets, sell them. If you can’t sell them and go to the game, don’t buy anything at the game. Wear a shirt supporting Kaepernick. Sit during the anthem, if you feel that strongly. If you can find others who feel the way you do, organize a group and pick an official NFL vendor in your area to boycott.
Now, some of you may be asking, ‘out of all the injustices that Black America endures, why all of this over Kaepernick?’
Point taken. As my grandfather use to say “You shoulda been done something about that.” But, better late than never. And, don’t be mistaken. This is not just about the fact Colin Kaepernick is being shutdown by the white ownership of the National Football League.
This is about the inequalities and injustice Black America deals with on a daily basis. Not only that, this is something we owe our ancestors.
America’s black community has an obligation. We stand on the shoulders of giants.
There were men, women, and children, black, white and brown, who spoke out for justice and equality, and even died for those tenets.
If you are black, no matter your station in life _ an executive at a Fortune 500 company, a manager at McDonald’s, a bus driver, or a technician _ there were people who prayed, fought and died for you. No matter how brilliant and productive you are at your profession, you would not be where you are without the sacrifices of past generations.
There is no doubt that the most effective thing you can do is not spend your money with the NFL, and the companies that sponsor the NFL.
Money truly does talk. But seldom does anyone hear our ‘Little Money’, until it speaks to ‘Big Money’ by volume. You want proof? Consider the pennies, nickels and dimes men and women kept in their pockets during the Montgomery Bus Boycott 62 years ago. They made their little money scream out!
The boycott lasted from Dec. 5, 1955 to Dec. 20, 1956. Montgomery’s 40,000 black residents represented 75 percent of the city’s bus riders. Not only did they stay off the buses, they stayed out of the downtown stores.
Montgomery’s black community rocked the city’s finances. The city gave in, allowed open seating on their buses.
Today, Black America’s spending power is enormous. A Nielson study entitled ‘Resilient, Receptive and Revelant’ concludes that: “Black buying power continues to increase, rising from its current $1 trillion level to a forecasted $1.3 trillion by 2017. Black buying power has seen an 86 percent increase since 2000 and accounts for 8.7 percent of the nation’s total.”
“The growth in black buying power stems in part from an increase in the number of black-owned businesses as well as from an uptick in education among the African-American population, which leads to higher incomes. Despite historically high unemployment rates, Blacks have shown resiliency in their ability to persevere as consumers.”
That’s power, baby. Black Power.
So many stand in judgment of how the rich and powerful among us, like our celebrities and athletes use their power to help our communities. In numbers, volume, we have great power.
I am suggesting that we can each choose to organize and use that power, or we can choose to lose it.
MC COY THINKS THAT IT MUST BE RIGHT FOR THE POLICE TO SHOOT AND KILL UNARMED BLACKS AND NOT SAY NOTHING JUST BECA– USE YOU HAVE MONEY AND PLAY SPORTS DOESNT CHANGE THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN BECA– USE YOU STILL A NIGGA. AS A BLACK WOMAN WHO GREW UP IN THE MOVEMENT FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO GO TO SCHOOL I FEEL INSULTED AND DISRESPECTED AT YOUR ASININE COON STATEMENT YOU STUPID ILLITERATE MOFO. I RESPECT THAT THE SPORTSMAN STOOD IN UNITY WITH THE LATE GREAT MUHAMMAD ALI. TAKE A LESSON FROM DMX WHO WE BE AND JAY Z THE STORY OF O.J SHAME ON YOU NEGRO COLORED MAN.