Getty Colin Kaepernick is looking for another NFL opportunity.
Colin Kaepernick has announced his efforts to assist with Minneapolis-based protesters.
The former-San Francisco 49ers quarterback recently voiced his opinion amid protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died after being knelt on while in the custody of Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged with third-degree murder on Friday.
When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction.
The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance.
We have the right to fight back!
Rest in Power George Floyd
Just 24 hours later, Kaepernick tweeted that he is creating a specific fund through his activist organization Know Your Rights Camp for a “legal defense initiative” to assist Minneapolis protesters in need of lawyers or legal assistance.
In fighting for liberation there‘s always retaliation. We must protect our Freedom Fighters. We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp
For representation or to donate
Know Your Rights Camp is a fund that, per their mission statement, “is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”
Statement on Know Your Rights Camp Website
The link in Kaepernick’s tweet leads to a landing page detailing what the legal defense initiative is looking to accomplish, as well as the current relationships they’ve built with lawyers in the Minneapolis area.
The Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative has identified and teamed up with top defense lawyers in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area to provide legal resources for those in need.
When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary.
If you, or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, or has been arrested while fighting injustice in the Minneapolis area, please complete the form below with as much detail as possible.
Once you have completed the form and it has been submitted, one of our team members will be in touch as soon as possible.
Since May 25, the day of George Floyd’s death, protests have erupted in Minneapolis as well as other parts of the United States.
Several initiatives like the Minnesota Freedom Fund have also been raising to pay bail for protesters or rioters arrested, while Kaepernick and the Know Your Rights Camp are making efforts to assist with legal defenses.
Kaepernick and Know Your Rights Camp Since 2016
In the 49ers’ third preseason game of 2016, Kaepernick sat down during the National Anthem as a protest over racial injustice in the United States, sparking a national debate over the subject and his actions.
2016 is also when Kaepernick launched the Know Your Rights Camp, with the initial goal being to teach marginalized youths about self-empowerment and tools for the world.
After the end of the 2016 season, Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers, but did not receive any offers or workout invitations from anywhere in the NFL.
In November of 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, claiming that he was deliberately black-balled from being able to join a new team and league executives and owners were working together to make it happen.
The grievance stood for just under a year and a half, as Kaepernick withdrew the grievance after reaching a settlement estimated around $10 million with the NFL.
Since, Kaepernick and the Know Your Rights Camp have made various efforts, the latest being a COVID-19 relief fund, with the former Nevada standout donating $100,000 at its start.
Structural racism makes Black & Brown ppl more likely to die from #COVID19. @kaepernick7 launched the Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund to directly impact the disproportionate effect #coronavirus is having on our communities. #WeGotUs 🖤✊🏾 Donate: t.co/drZYeE3a3O
Evan Reier is a contributor covering the NFL for Heavy.com and also covers local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, MT. Follow and reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier.