Commentary

COMMENTARY: Standing on the Right Side of History

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Blackballed NFL QB Colin Kaepernick Settles Major Grievance Claim against NFL

Published

7 years ago

February 25, 2019

By Jeffrey L. Boney, NNPA Newswire Contributor

One of the best skits that ever appeared on comedian Dave Chappelle’s hit television show, the Chappelle Show, was one called “When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong.” Each skit would highlight the outcome of what would happen to individuals who made the choice to ‘keep it real.’ In every skit, it showed how a person’s decision to ‘keep it real’ led to a negative outcome for them doing so. In other words, when you decide to ‘keep it real’ there are consequences for your actions, which could backfire on you.

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to ‘keep it real’, but in his case, he came out on top.

In spite of receiving pushback from those who disagreed with his stance. In spite of being blackballed from playing the game he loved. In spite of being vilified by countless people, including NFL owners — and even the President of the United States. In spite of everything that was thrown his way, Kaepernick proved that when you stand up for what you believe in, even if you have to stand alone, you can win.

More importantly, Kaepernick showed that you can motivate and inspire at least one other person to stand with you when the odds are stacked against you and make a major statement and significant impact.

This past week, it was reported that Kaepernick, who filed a grievance against the National Football League (NFL) back in October of 2017, had reached a settlement with the NFL for a substantial amount of money. Kaepernick had not played a game in the NFL since early 2017. Kaepernick filed the grievance and accused NFL owners of working in collusion to deliberately keep him from playing quarterback in the league, because of his much-publicized stance of pointing out racial injustice and police brutality by protesting and taking a knee during the national anthem of each game during the 2016 NFL season

It was also reported that his former San Francisco 49ers teammate, safety Eric Reid, who was one of the only other players to consistently stand with Kaepernick from the beginning of his initial protest, has settled his collusion grievance against the NFL for a significant amount of money.

While the details of both settlement agreements are undisclosed due to a confidentially agreement between all parties, it has been reported that Kaepernick’s settlement amount alone is somewhere in the ballpark of $60 to $80 million. Reid’s settlement is reported to be significantly less, but he still received a settlement, which means that both he and Kaepernick proved, over these past two years, that the NFL was wrong and did not want the truth to come out.

If the NFL was innocent of these charges, and had the evidence to prove their innocence, they would have fought tooth and nail to crush Kaepernick and Reid. But Kaepernick and Reid stood together and came out victorious, not just because they received a financial settlement, but because they were able to stand up against the Goliath known as the NFL and show that you can’t silence the voice of Black people.

There were several NFL players who joined in with Kaepernick at the start of his protests in 2016, but the majority of those NFL players fell by the wayside. Reid, not only stood with Kaepernick when he was his 49ers teammate, he has also stood with Kaepernick after he got blackballed from the league. Reid could have abandoned Kaepernick and abandoned the cause, but he stood his ground and stayed true.

Things got so bad for Reid, that when he became a safety for the Carolina Panthers during the 2018 NFL season, he claimed that he was being targeted by the NFL via their performance-enhancing drug testing program. After his December 17 game against the New Orleans Saints, Reid claimed that he had been ‘randomly’ selected to take a drug test for the seventh time since joining the Panthers the year prior. Reid strongly argued that there was nothing ‘random’ about the drug tests he was being selected for and that he was being targeted simply because he joined in with Kaepernick to file a collusion grievance of his own against the league.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) issued statements last month, stating that there was “no evidence of targeting or any other impropriety with respect to his selection for testing.”

Reid may not have proven that these drug tests were far from ‘random’, but he and Kaepernick were able to prove that the NFL was guilty of trying to bully them into submission, sought to silence their voices and make them compliant with their demands to stop their protests. It didn’t work and the NFL had to pay for it dearly.

This is a huge win for Kaepernick and Reid, and a prime example of how at least one person can influence others, as well as how a small number of people – in this case, Kaepernick and Reid – can change the game of football and change the game of life in a major way.

The NFLPA released a statement regarding the news of the settlement, stating:

“We continuously supported Colin and Eric from the start of their protests, participated with their lawyers throughout their legal proceedings and were prepared to participate in the upcoming trial in pursuit of both truth and justice for what we believe the NFL and its clubs did to them. We are glad that Eric has earned a job and a new contract, and we continue to hope that Colin gets his opportunity as well.”

If we look at the course of American history, we see that grassroots advocacy, like protests, have been around for a long time and have been used to bring about significant change in this country.

If you look at Black historical figures like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and several others who have led protests to speak out against injustice, it is clear that those civil rights champions used their platforms and influence to address the myriad issues that have negatively impacted Black people in America during their time. And sadly, those civil rights advocates who we highlight and talk about every year during Black History Month did not have the type of support we are afforded today. As a matter of fact, many of them had just a handful of supporters getting behind their cause during their era, with some of them having little to no support at all, even from those that looked like them.

Kaepernick isn’t the first Black person to have been vilified in this country for going against the grain, challenging the status quo or taking a controversial stance on issues.

Both, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Muhammad Ali, spoke out against the Vietnam War and were deemed traitors to their country and were even called communists while they were alive.

After Dr. King’s speech in New York, criticizing the Vietnam War, other civil rights leaders who once stood with him, began to distance themselves from him and he was heavily castigated in local and national newspapers. Very few people stood with him.

Ali was stripped of his heavyweight boxing title and sent to jail after refusing to join the U.S. Army to go fight in the Vietnam War. He ignored the request to be inducted into the military at the Armed Forces Induction Center in Houston, Texas, and was eventually arrested, convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years.

Interestingly enough, Dr. King has a federal holiday in his honor and the legacy of Ali is revered today.

As it has been with Dr. King and Ali, time will also be good to Kaepernick, and the history books will be even better to him for his bold and courageous act.

Many publications that are a part of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a trade group that represents over 200 Black-owned media companies across the U.S., have chronicled Kaepernick’s story and have been a part of ensuring he will be forever remembered for his legacy defining act of strength and courage.

Throughout this entire ordeal, Kaepernick has served as a master teacher, who has taught the nation how to use the power of the platform they possess, be prepared to pay the price for the sacrifices they make and learn to endure the criticism they receive, because in due time, they will go down in the history books as a true catalyst for change.

Now, the real question becomes, will the NFL allow Kaepernick to come back and play the game he loves without further collusion? Time will tell and the nation will be watching.

Jeffrey Boney is an NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com contributor and the associate editor for the Houston Forward Times newspaper. Jeffrey is an award-winning journalist, dynamic, international speaker, experienced entrepreneur, business development strategist and founder and CEO of the Texas Business Alliance Follow Jeffrey on Twitter @realtalkjunkies.

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Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

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1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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COMMENTARY: Why Local School Tax Measure G1 Will Not Be on the November Ballot

POST NEWS GROUP — Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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By Jennifer Brouhard, Oakland School Board President

There has been considerable speculation recently about why Measure G1 will not appear on the November ballot and what that means for the Oakland Unified School District’s current budget.

I want to provide some clarity about what happened and, importantly, what did not happen.

Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.

Because these funds are important to our schools and to the continuity of these programs, the district initially intended to place a renewal initiative on the November ballot to provide greater early certainty about funding beyond the expiration of the current measure.

As part of that process, the Board scheduled a special meeting for the required public hearing on the ballot initiative. There has been some suggestion that this meeting was noticed only one day in advance. That is not accurate.

Public hearings of this nature are subject to specific notice requirements, and the meeting must be noticed at least two weeks before the hearing. In practice, the notice may appear even earlier depending on publication schedules. The notice for the Measure G1 public hearing was published in the Tribune on 7/24/2026 and 7/31/2026.

So, why wasn’t the Measure G1 paperwork ultimately filed?

After the Board approved placing the measure on the ballot, the next step required the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools to sign the necessary paperwork before it could be submitted to the Oakland City Clerk.

During that process, Alameda County Superintendent Alysse Castro raised concerns about potential litigation stemming from another court case unrelated to OUSD and about whether proceeding with the measure could expose the district or County to legal challenges. Superintendent Castro’s action is unprecedented and concerning.

It is important to distinguish between the Board’s decision to pursue Measure G1 and the subsequent procedural and legal issues that arose. The Board did approve moving forward with the measure. The measure did not fail because the Board chose not to support it, nor was the public hearing improperly noticed.

The decision not to proceed with the November ballot was made in light of the County’s concerns about potential litigation and the County’s required approval process.

We also need to be clear about what this does, and does not, mean for OUSD’s current budget. The existing Measure G1 funds remain available through the expiration of the current measure in 2029. The immediate issue is the longer-term continuity of funding beyond that date, not the elimination of these resources from the current year’s budget.

Our responsibility as a Board is to protect the educational programs and services our students depend on while ensuring that our decisions comply with the law and protect the district from unnecessary legal and financial risk.

We will continue working to understand the County’s concerns, explore our options, and advocate for the resources our students deserve. Our middle school students, teachers, and school communities deserve stability, and continued investment in arts, music, world languages, and teacher retention—and that work remains a priority for Oakland Unified.

Jennifer Brouhard is a retired OUSD educator and is the current OUSD School Board President representing District 2.