Colin Kaepernick has come under fire for comparing the NFL’s draft process to slavery in his new Netflix special.
The series, called “Colin in Black & White”, takes a look at Kaepernick’s childhood and the events leading up to his controversy.
One scene in particular has gone viral, with Kaepernick comparing the draft process and training to slave auctions.
“What they don’t want you to understand is what’s being established is a power dynamic,” he says as he walks through a staged NFL field. “Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod, and examine you searching for any defect that might affect your performance”.
“No boundary respected. No dignity left intact,” he says as the players walk toward him. When they walk past him, they morph into slaves in shackles at an auction with white slave owners.
Kaepernick attempts to compare the bidding and abuse of slaves in the U.S. to the drafting of players into the league.
The series has drawn criticism from many on Twitter. Utah GOP Rep. Burgess Owens tweeted “How dare @Kaepernick7 compare the evil endured by so many of our ancestors to a bunch of millionaires who CHOSE to play game”.
In 2016, Kaepernick was brought into the spotlight for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racism in the U.S.
Shortly after, he left his contract and has not been drafted by another team, which Kaepernick blames on being “blacklisted” by NFL owners who disagreed with him.
