Kappas

NAACP Requests Meeting With NFL Commissioner About Kaepernick

The NAACP released a request for a formal meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss the “retaliatory actions against quarterback Colin Kaepernick for exercising his First Amendment rights.”

“Last season, Mr. Kaepernick chose to exercise his First Amendment rights by protesting the inequitable treatment of people of color in America,” the letter states. “By quietly taking a knee during the national anthem, he was able to shine a light on the many injustices, particularly, the disproportionate occurrences of police misconduct toward communities of color. As outlined in your office’s public statement, this act of dissent is well within the National Football League’s stated bylaws. Yet, as the NFL season quickly approaches, Mr. Kaepernick has spent an unprecedented amount of time as a free agent, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that this is no sheer coincidence.”

“No player should be victimized and discriminated against because of his exercise of free speech—to do so is in violation of his rights under the Constitution and the NFL’s own regulations.”

Read their full letter below.