While the White House continues to spread lies about the player protests going on every week in the NFL, the man who started those protests simply by kneeling during the national anthem, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, remains without a team. But the discussion he started about police brutality and racial inequality has continued to spread, growing far beyond the NFL, or even the President's, ability to contain. And now Kaepernick is continuining to spread the word by supporting a film on another athlete who dared to make a similar statement.
Kaepernick is joining John Legend and Jesse Williams as co-producers of With Drawn Arms, a documentary film about Olympic gold medalist and NFL wide receiver Tommie Smith. Smith, along with bronze medalist John Carlos, raised their gloved fist in a black power salute during the Star Spangled Banner at the XIX Olympics in Mexico City in 1968, in protest of racial inequality and in support of human rights. The film will be co-directed by L.A.-based artist Glenn Kaino and Afshin Shahidi.
Here's what Legend had to say about the film and the climate in which it will arrive...
“We are excited to collaborate with true artists in Glenn Kaino and Afshin Shahidi to bring this powerful story to the world in a fresh and compelling way. In this current climate we are once again being charged to stand up to bigotry, fear, and hate. We are inspired by this story and honored to be a creative partner on this film.”
The plan is to have the film ready by October 16th next year, the 50th anniversary of Smith and Carlos' protest. Smith, who is now 73 years old, has been a vocal supporter of Kaepernick's protests from the beginning.
