(Colin Kaepernick) What’s Next?

One of the last songs Tupac Shakur recorded is a little known track entitled What’s Next, in which he questions things in his past and how they’ve impacted others. To no particular entity or without any particular purpose, Pac repeatedly asks, “What’s Next?” In summary, Pac questions the purpose of his past and what is to come in the future.

It’s been exactly two months since Colin Kaepernick settled his collision lawsuit against the National Football League. Prior to the settlement, since the Fall of 2016, Colin Kaepernick and his silent protest of kneeling during the national anthem was a constant topic amongst both sports and general news outlets. Despite not being in the league for the past two seasons, both kneeling during the anthem by other players and the conversation around the awareness of the protest remained strong up until the settlement.

Then… nothing.

We haven’t heard from Colin Kaepernick. We also haven’t heard from Eric Reid, his most vocal and visible NFL player supporter. We haven’t heard anything on news outlets. And this upcoming season, I can bet dollars to doughnuts no one will kneel during the anthem. 

So what’s next?

Like Tupac questioned the purpose of his past and what was to come in the future, we, the supporters of the anthem protest wonder what’s next with player activism. A tactic that, despite backlash, has been a successful tool in beginning the conversations and actions needed to address gross the injustices taking place in this nation.

I’m sure NBA players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and countless others will continue to speak on social issues. But what about the NFL? 

The main goal of the kneeling protest was to bring awareness to the injustices within law enforcement and the criminal justice system as a whole against Black people in America.

Mission accomplished.

The protest might have only entrenched the main sides of this issue (pro-police vs Black Lives Matter); however; many in the middle listened and some like Patriots owner Robert Kraft even made steps towards supporting criminal justice reform.

There probably won’t be any more anthem protests, but there’s still a lot of room for the NFL to make an impact and create social change. We, the supporters, just need to know what’s next.