Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is not taking his foot off the pedal in the quest for social justice.
Recently, Kaep announced the start of a new initiative that offers a second autopsy for free to family members of people whose death is “police-related.”
Kaepernick has launched The Autopsy Initiative through his Know Your Rights Camp organization. The innovative new program will provide free secondary autopsies conducted by board-certified pathologists.
Colin @Kaepernick7 on @yourrightscamp Autopsy Initiative: "We know that the prison industrial complex –which includes police and policing – strives to protect and serve its interests at all costs. The Autopsy Initiative is one important step toward ensuring that family members
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 23, 2022
Changing The Autopsy Narrative
The Autopsy Initiative will disclose the preliminary findings and issue the final autopsy reports to families. Additionally, the autopsy can be requested by those with a close relationship with the victim. The spouses, partners, relatives, close friends, or lawyers are eligible.
However, according to the organization, the autopsy must be authorized by a legal representative. The news is a game-changer in the fight for social justice and works to quell the epidemic of police brutality.
Throughout the fight to end police brutality, many have questioned law enforcement processes. Lack of conflict resolution, escalation to violence, and even the post-fatality procedures such as the autopsy, every element of policing have been under the microscope.
There's no option under their system without evidence. An autopsy performed by professional experts gives victims something their lack of resources had prevented them from getting before proof of different facts than what the perpetrators presented them with.
— Chris Brown B1 FBA About that life (@hotc4fun) February 24, 2022
When You Know Your Rights
The Autopsy Initiative now hopes to eradicate previous issues from law enforcement’s autopsies given to victims’ loved ones. The hope is that the new initiative will help eliminate the inherent bias associated with government authorities’ handling of fatal police interactions.
“We know that the prison industrial complex, which includes police and policing, strives to protect and serve its interests at all costs,” Kaepernick said in a statement this week.
“The Autopsy Initiative is one important step toward ensuring that family members have access to accurate and forensically verifiable information about the cause of death of their loved one in their time of need,” he added.
Because, as I explained before, many families who have lost members to police violence haven’t had the financial resources to obtain a second autopsy, independent of the cities/counties that caused their loved one’s death. This is another layer of accountability.
— teemcee 👩🏽🦱 💖 🎀 🛍️ 🪅 💝 (@teemcee) February 24, 2022
Leading The Way
Kaepernick has become the preeminent voice in the NFL’s social justice movement. After taking the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl in 2012, the former quarterback hasn’t played the game since 2016.
That season he and former teammate Eric Reid began taking a knee during the pregame performances of the national anthem to highlight police brutality and racial inequality.
Since then, Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp has set the standard in athletic activism. Described as a free campaign on the website, Know Your Rights was founded to raise awareness on higher education, self-empowerment, and instructions on adequately interacting with law enforcement in various scenarios.
The Polarizing Player
However, former President Donald Trump made Kaepernick a touchpoint of polarization when he described a solution for the protest “to get those sons of bitches off the field.”
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag,” said Trump during a speech in Alabama in 2017.
“Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!”
Duality Of The Sacrifice
Although the NFL and its teams made slight overtures towards Kaepernick, he still has yet to be re-signed to an NFL team.
Kaepernick has been consistent as a social justice warrior and telling his narrative through his Netflix series “Colin In Black & White.”
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