Harry Belafonte is not only a world-renowned actor. He also fought diligently for the rights of Black Americans throughout his lifetime, so you could say he’s an expert on the struggles and opposition one might face when fighting for civil rights. Belafonte recently sat down with NEWSONE’s Roland Martin to discuss several topics and one that came to the forefront was Colin Kaepernick.
Mr. Belafonte told Martin, “To mute the slave is always been to the best interests of the slave owner.
“When a Black voice is raised in protest to oppression, those who are comfortable with our oppression are the first to criticize us for daring to speak out against it.”
Belafonte, who played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement, called Kaepernick’s decision to stand against the oppression of African-Americans a “noble thing.”
He continued, “I think that speaking out and making people aware of the fact that you are paying homage to an anthem that also has a constituency that by the millions suffer is a righteous thing to do.”
The civil rights icon added, “The fact that these people are having these ‘How dare you speak out against lynching?’ and all of the things that racism stands for or the conclusions to racist acts permit – I think is a statement about America.”
For having brought this attention to the plight of African-Americans who suffer at the hands of heavy-handed policing, which in many instances end in the deaths of Black men and women, Mr. Belafonte called Kaepernick “a noble and courageous man.”
The NFL has blatantly continued to blackball Kaepernick this offseason citing several unjustified reasons such as: 1. They’re unsure of his commitment to football. 2. They’re not sure he’s in football shape. The list goes on and on , yet Kaepernick’s commitment to fighting for civil rights for Black Americans remains unwavering.
Flip the page to see Mr. Belafonte’s full interview with Roland Martin.