(ThyBlackMan.com) Black America and others, who have a vested interest in stopping the killings of American citizens by the State are unquestionably, “Being Played” by Nike, the National Football League (NFL) and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), when it comes to solutions and the “out of the ordinary” killings of African Americans, by errant police officers and their proxies.
Our generation is not the first to face a moral issue of this magnitude and scope and I can assure you, we will not be the last. History supports the use of direct action, when it comes to solving the thorny racial issue, we are facing today, when it comes to African Americans being gunned downed, at two and one half times the rate of our white counterparts. Thus, you must question the NFLPA’s latest proposal to spend $89 million, offered to them by NFL owners to
stop their protests of kneeling, during the playing of the national anthem.
The NFLPA floated a proposal with the blessings of NFL owners, for spending the entire $89 million, in an appearance on the Saturday morning CBS Morning Show (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-players-malcolm-jenkins-chris-long-tackling-social-injustice-off-the-field/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab8d&linkId=57533965).
Their proposal, of indirect action, would not affect or have any serious impact on stopping the killings of African Americans. It’s that simple. You have to really understand, the rewarding of $89 million to the NFLPA, was due to them kneeling, for a cause initiated by the African American (AA) community. In other words, the NFLPA, when they initially joined the cause echoed the sentiments of direct action; the same view point as those, who were already actively protesting. They are now reneging on the commitment of direct action, disregarding the AA community’s desire to see the killings brought to an end.
Those, who have a vested interested in the killings of African Americans at the hands of errant police officers and their proxies, desperately want to see measures taken that would “stop these killings.” This was and still is, clearly the sentiment of protesters on the streets, young and old and people like myself, who were involved in the initial protests. The initial protests over the killings started in Sanford, Florida with the murder of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in 2012.
The NFLPA became a part of this cause because Colin Kaepernick, in 2016, in a preseason game in August against the Green Bay Packers, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California did not stand for the national anthem. Kaepernick commented, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder….” Clearly and unambiguously, Mr. Kaepernick, with those words, reflected the feelings and view point of all of us, who were protesting the killings.
Nike’s Just Do It! Campaign with Mr. Kaepernick’s as the featured face of that campaign is, what you call an indirect action campaign to the horrible killings of African Americans. While, Nike earned $6.1 billion, due to an increase in its stock price, no money was directed toward solutions to stop the killings. The increased stock price rewarded the wealthy and billionaires, who are President Trump donors and supporters. And recent news stories have shown that Nike, itself, is a major supporter of the Trump agenda, in that they have contributed three times as much money to Republicans as to Democrats.
And the lessons of history doesn’t support, the NFLPA’s proposal of indirect action to the African American killings. In 1905, W.E.B. Dubois called for direct action when he organized a meeting of Black Americans from across the nation in Niagara Falls, Canada, to address the terror associated with the lynchings of African Americans and the inability of the federal government to move against the perpetrators. The meeting and its subsequent actions were pegged, “the Niagara movement.” According to Lerone Bennett Jr., who wrote a historical three volume essay regarding African Americans from their African beginnings to the Supreme Court Decision of 1954, the direct action of the Niagara movement resulted in the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Additionally, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., himself, commented on direct action versus, indirect action as the leader of the Civil Rights movement in his famous, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” He wrote the Birmingham jail letter because he was concerned about a letter, at that time, being circulated by eight leading white ministers of Birmingham – Roman Catholic, Jewish and Protestant – who were questioning King’s tactics. Dr. King said this, “I have never yet engaged in a direct action movement that was “well timed” according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. In other words, opposition to direct action, serves the purposes of those who are committing oppressive acts, such as errant police officers and their proxies, who are killing black citizens. He further stated that, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create… and establish tension (that will lead) to (negotiations).”
So you see, Nike, the NFL and NFLPA are engaging in activities, that “will not lead to serious and practical solutions to the killings of African Americans.” This is completely opposite, of what the African American community is demanding. Additionally, these organizations, are on the wrong side of history, in their approach to the unjust killings.
In the final analysis, you have to question, why is the NFLPA afraid to call and finance a sit down, a summit of stakeholders, if you will, in a series of meetings, to vet and discuss “all real solutions,” including theirs, when it comes to the killings of African American citizens (https://thyblackman.com/2018/05/29/its-not-about-the-kneeling-its-about-stopping-the-killings/)?
Ask yourself, who is the NFLPA pleasing? Is it the wealthy, billionaires, and Trump supporters, because clearly, their proposed indirect action campaign, will not stop the unjust killings of African Americans? Where has the mercy and compassion gone, in regard to the unjust killings of black citizens, that was initially expressed, by Mr. Kaepernick? Is it now, all about the NFLPA and “the benjamins?”
We all have noticed, Mr. Trump’s tweets berating those, “sons-of-bitches,” football players have ceased. You may ask, why? Therefore, draw your own conclusions, when it comes to the question, of whether the NFLPA, is really interested in seeking solutions to these killings.
I want to thank everyone of you, who tweeted in regard to this campaign to have the NFLPA spend part of the money, NFL owners have offered them on direct and real solutions, that will lead to stopping the killings. Whether you tweeted one or two times or dozens of times like myself, what you are doing, is in memory of our fallen brothers and sisters, who have died at the hands of errant police officers and their proxies; to let them know they are not forgotten: (Please say their names) Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown Jr., Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Ezell Ford, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, LaQuan McDonald, Amadou Diallo, Manuel Loggins Jr., Ronald Madison, Kendra James, Sean Bell, LaTanya Haggerty, Margaret LaVerne Mitchell, Ramarley Graham, Jamar Clark, Yvette Smith, Akai Gurley, Walter Scott, Natasha McKenna, Freddie Gray, Brendon Glenn, Samuel DuBose, Gregory Gunn, Rekia Boyd, Shereese Francis, Antwon Rose, Cynthia Fields, Rashaun Washington, Anthony Marcell Green, Robert Lawrence White, Marcus-David L. Peters, Juan Markee Jones, Danny Thomas, Stephon Clark, Cameron Hall, Shermichael Ezeff, Ronnell Foster, Arther McAfee and now, Botham Shem Jean of Dallas and others.
Here is my latest tweet to CBS and the NFL:
James Davis
@Jamesabides1
Replying to
@CBSThisMorning
and
@NFL
Why is the NFLPA afraid to call & finance a sit down, a summit of stakeholders, if you will, in a series of meetings, to vet and discuss “all real solutions,” including theirs when it comes to the killings of African American citizens? https://thyblackman.com/2018/09/07/mr-kaepernick-nike-nflpa-and-their-shoddy-deals/
Staff Writer; James Davis
Mr. Davis is a leading expert and consultant in Financial Analysis and Social Dynamics. He is a graduate of Florida A. and M. University(FAMU), a former stockbroker, and a human rights activist who resides in Sanford, Florida. He was awarded the prestigious Governor Haydon Burns Scholarship to attend FAMU and while at FAMU was awarded the first Martin Luther King Scholarship. He is the author of three books, among them is “The Fix This Time,” Boost Your Retirement Income! Simultaneously Create Jobs and Spur Consumer Demand (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MI3PD2M).
He can be reached through his blog @, (http://www.thefixthistime.com).