By Chris Enloe
Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback turned activist, denounced America on Independence Day this year — but he had a completely different message when Barack Obama was president.
In his Fourth of July message, Kaepernick claimed the national holiday, marking America's independence from Great Britain, is a "celebration of white supremacy."
"Black ppl have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries, & are expected to join your commemoration of 'independence', while you enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy & look forward to liberation for all," Kaepernick said.
Kaepernick has turned up the volume on his anti-America rhetoric in recent years, especially in the wake of his departure from the NFL.
Last year, on Thanksgiving Day, Kaepernick bashed America while celebrating "Unthanksgiving Day."
"The US government has stolen over 1.5 billion acres of land from Indigenous people. Thank you to my Indigenous family, I'm with you today and always," Kaepernick said.
Then, after U.S. armed forces killed Iran military commander Qassem Soleimani, Kaepernick accused the U.S. of engaging in racist "terrorist attacks."
"There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism," Kaepernick said. "America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad. America militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non white world."
However, when Obama was president, Kaepernick sang a much different tune on Independence Day.
In 2011, Kaepernick said, "Happy 4th of july everyone I hope everyone has a blessed day."
In 2012, Kaepernick said, "Hope everyone has a blessed 4th, as for me I'm on that workout flow first."
Author: Chris Enloe