Colin Kaepernick remains one of the more intriguing figures in the sports world and that is fueled, at least in part, by the fact that he is without NFL employment at the moment. However, Kaepernick spent Independence Day thinking about non-football issues and he shared a video on Twitter about his trip to Ghana in early July.
In addition, Kaepernick shared extended thoughts on his trip via his Instagram account.
"What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence?" - Frederick Douglass.
In a quest to find my personal independence, I had to find out where my ancestors came from. I set out tracing my African ancestral roots, and it lead me to Ghana. Upon finding out this information, I wanted to visit the sites responsible for myself (and many other Black folks in the African Diaspora) for being forced into the hells of the middle passage. I wanted to see a fraction of what they saw before reaching the point of no return. I spent time with the/my Ghanaian people, from visiting the local hospital in Keta and the village of Atito, to eating banku in the homes of local friends, and paying my respects to Kwame Nkrumah's Memorial Park. I felt their love, and truly I hope that they felt mine in return.
Kaepernick's introspection is inspiring in that it takes quite a bit of conviction to discuss views and thoughts like this in a public forum under the heaviest of scrutiny. His next NFL destination remains up in the air but Kaepernick is a very interesting figure having a real-life conversation in public with an eye on positive change.
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