Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Colin Kaepernick and Craig Hodges. Photo Courtesy of: Houston Forward Times

It doesn’t matter if you’re walking into a grocery store, Jewish synagogue, local gym, Muslim mosque, Baptist church, or flipping your television from ESPN’s First Take to Fox Sports 1’s Undisputed to catch NBA free agency, the same question is repeated over and over again: Will Colin Kaepernick play in the NFL this season?

For those tardy to the party, Last NFL season, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback refused to stand during the playing of the U.S. national anthem to acknowledge wrongdoings of African Americans and minorities like Eric Garner, Philando Castile who have been brutally murdered by police officers.”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL network’s Steve Wyche during the NFL’s preseason last year.

“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Kaepernick would later kneel instead of not participating at all while the national anthem was played during NFL games.

Kaepernick’s refusal triggered other athletes like the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, Houston Rockets’ Chris Paul, New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony and Chicago Bulls’ Dwyane Wade and WNBA players to become vocal about police brutality of minorities.

Kaepernick, who led the San Francisco 49ers to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII, was in a contract year when took that public stance last season. Now an NFL free agent, it seems that nobody is willing to take a chance on him as even a backup in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins are said to have had interest, but they’ve since moved on.

Craig Hodges and Michael Jordan. Photo Courtesy of The Odyssey Online

So will Colin Kaepernick play this season? Craig Hodges, a 2-time NBA Champion with the Chicago Bulls says it’s iffy. “He might get an opportunity, but if he is not in somebody’s training camp I don’t think he will play again in the NFL because out of sight out of mind, Hodges told me on Scoop B Radio.  

“And in the sport, unlike basketball where you might be able to sit out twelve months and still be able to come back and play, but the question becomes in that twelve months: “Is anybody even going to mess with you anymore?” Because they already said you are obsolete because you have been twelve months away from the game.”

Hodges if you recall, was blackballed by the NBA after he handed a letter to former U.S. President George H.W. Bush during the Bulls’ championship visit to the White House. The contents of the letter, according to Hodges made President Bush aware of  the mistreatment of poor people and people of color in the United States. “I did whatever I could to uplift the cause of our people man,” he said.

“And one night, we had the chance to go the White House right after we won our first championship. I had been writing letters to our congress people and to our senators to the mayor when I was a little boy and all the way through high school and it was just a continuous of that and a continuous  knowing that I part of the fabric and the fiber of human rights and people standing up for human rights.”

 

 

Check Out Craig Hodges On Scoop B Radio with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson

 

While Hodges took a stance after winning a championship with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and coach Phil Jackson in the 90s, another NBA player was vocal in Denver.

FILE – In this March 15, 1996 file photo, Denver Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf stands with his teammates and prays during the national anthem before an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago. This was Abdul-Rauf’s first game back since he was suspended by the NBA on March 12, 1996, for refusing to participate in the national anthem pre-game ceremony. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision this week to refuse to stand during the playing of the national anthem as a way of protesting police killings of unarmed black men has drawn support and scorn far beyond sports. Through the years, “The Star-Spangled Banner” has become a symbol of both patriotism and politics. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)

Former Denver Nuggets guard, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was nationally villafied after he refused to acknowledge the U.S. flag. Abdul-Rauf, who  converting to Islam, refused to acknowledge the flag in protest. He would not rise while the U.S. national anthem was played and as a result, ABC’s 20/20 and other television shows and networks drew national attention to Abdul Rauf’s public stance. As a result, Abdul-Rauf was suspended by the NBA and when he returned, he, the NBA and the Nuggets reached an agreement that he’d pray while the national anthem was played before games.

While Kaepernick is without a job in the NFL, Hodges believes that Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had it worse off than he or Kaepernick. Hodges indicated on Scoop B Radio that he told Abdul-Rauf as such when the two he met in Chicago while Abdul-Rauf was playing in Ice Cube’s Big 3 Basketball tournament. “Colin Kaepernick has gotten to get a portion of what he is suppose to get salary wise,” said Hodges.

“Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was cut off from possibly being the greatest scorer in NBA history, that is the part that hurt me about him.”

Abdul-Rauf was ultra talented. The fiery guard out of LSU who went by the name Chris Jackson before his conversion to Islam was nasty! His scoring ability was unmatched and his jumper was deadly.

In his rookie season in the NBA he averaged 14 points per game and averaged a shade over three assists per game during the 1990-91 NBA season. Abdul-Rauf’s best year in the league was the 1992-93 NBA season. He’d average a smidge under 20 points and 4 assists per contest. He was lightning quick and his first step in his prime could genuinely compare with the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson Discusses Colin Kaepernick on Another Thing with Larry Medte and Fox News Political Expert Lt. Steven Rogers

On Abdul-Rauf, Craig Hodges added:

“I’m saying he is Islam and he understands all of that, but that is power for why that all went on. But at the same time, his potential in the game was so much farther than myself and I say even Colin for where he is in his career right now. But as far as what he was able to do for the game, I feel like Mahmoud felt it more than anybody.”

Shifting back to the gridiron, the ongoing saga Kaepernick saga is reminiscent of Michael Vick’s return to football after his conviction of running a dogfighting business in his home. The only difference is that Kaepernick has not broken any laws.

So here’s the million and seven dollar question: If Colin Kaepernick were to be picked up by an NFL team, would he kneel during the national anthem again?

“See once again, I’m pretty sure Colin Kaepernick isn’t going to take a knee anymore,” said Hodges.

“There isn’t a need to take a knee anymore. I think now it’s just a  matter of him wanting to play football. If he gets a chance to play football he is going to play football and do what he is capable of doing. Hopefully he gets that opportunity.”

Speaking of Michael Vick. In the past month, both he and Ray Lewis were vocal about Kaepernick’s decision and how the free agent could re-enter the program. Essentially, they both felt that he should either cut his hair or keep his political views to himself. “Often times we can be pressured into making comments on behalf of the larger enforcer,” said Hodges.

“That’s where we have to ask ourselves: if there really is a God in these situations whose side is he on? You know what I am saying? Then when brother’s make the decisions to say like: ‘Michael Vick, how stupid is that?’ So you are telling me that his hair as something to do with throwing the football? This man’s words are throwing footballs, Ray Lewis? So tone down your civil rights. So you’re telling me allow people to be murdered and maimed and it’s cool as long as I play football? Hell no man! How much more of a 2017 slave mentality is that? Let’s cut to the chase we have some slave garbage.”

Speaking of hair, r&b singer India Arie did explain to you in her song that she was not her hair!

Taking a cursory look at the NFL, there are others who have defining hair: the Houston Texans’ Brian Cushing has sported an array of styles, as have former Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu. Hodges deducts that corporate America is afraid of athletes like Kaepernick being unapologetically black. “Absolutely,” he said.

“Because when that happens you have no fear. Fear then is the key to the power structure. Scare the hell out of people and they aren’t going to move. So many of our movements have been penalized just because of the inaction and fear.”

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The post Former NBA Champ Craig Hodges: “Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was cut off from possibly being the greatest scorer in NBA history” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

This week alone has been one of the most horrific weeks America has arguably seen since 9/11; taking the lives of two unarmed African-American men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile both of whom had guns in their possession at the time of their murders but each had a license to carry them and because of this, the “All of Me” crooner John Legend, put the National Rifle Association (NRA) on blast in a tweet yesterday:

Let's go NRA. I know y'all are for the 2nd amendment. Are you also for equal protection? https://t.co/PaKMcZ7ina

— John Legend (@johnlegend) July 7, 2016

The comment came shortly after the video of Philando’s murder went viral this week by his girlfriend. Diamond Reynolds captured the aftermath of the incident on video which was streaming live on Facebook.  According to popsugar, Legend along with others whom noticed the ‘silence’ of the NRA and wanted to know if the organization was going to go to bat for Philando, who was a gun carrying, law abiding citizen. The NRA has defended citizens rights for carrying weapons but were pretty hush when it came to making a statement about the Castile aftermath. Because of this silence, other users quickly deemed it as yet another injustice against African-Americans.

Dear #NRA we don't hear you?? *crickets* #PhilandoCastile

— Liris Crosse (@LirisC) July 7, 2016

I wasn't aware the #NRA only protects th rights of legal gun owners that are white 😊#PhilandoCastile https://t.co/xQuvqTcrgO

— Daryl Wright (@daryl_wright) July 7, 2016

According to Yahoo, Philando Castile was an ambitious man who served as a role model for hundreds of children. He was known by friends as Phil. Castile was a cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill Montesorri Magnet School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he was known vividly for remembering every name of each of the 500 students he served daily. He also remembered their food allergies, stated a co-worker.

‘”He remembered their names. He remembered who couldn’t have milk. He knew what they could have to eat and what they couldn’t,” Joan Edman, a recently retired paraprofessional at the school, told TIME. “This was a real guy. He made a real contribution. Yes, black lives matter. But this man mattered.”‘

While the NRA is being mum at the moment over this tragedy, Legend and others are demanding answers and won’t stop until they get one.

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The post One Tweet From John Legend Leaves The NRA Silent… appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

In what has become routine since the killing of Trayvon Martin years ago in Florida, an onslaught of hashtags, articles, news conferences and statements from celebrities have flooded the Web following the killing of Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile by police officers. Beyoncé became the latest celebrity to join the fray, publishing an open letter on her website.

While the letter frames the importance of moving to action in the wake of these horrific tragedies by highlighting that we should be in this together, these statements are often left hanging, mistook for the action that’s needed, and, in the cacophony of social media and community outrage, ultimately becomes the peak of the cycle of tragedy, reaction, and consequence that that we get ensnared in after these killings.

On Tuesday night, Sterling was shot six times after being tackled and pinned to the ground by two officers who arrived to the scene after a call by a homeless man reporting that Sterling, who was selling CD’s outside the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had pointed a gun at him; and after being pulled over for a broken rear light in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, Castile was shot four times in his car on Wednesday as he reached for his license and registration, as per the officer’s request. News of the killings spread as video of the shootings were posted online, sparking nationwide pain and calls for justice. Both these men were innocent, and if we are to do their innocence justice, we must respond by taking what we’ve learned and felt from the past and focus that into action that creates a better future for us.

Beyoncé’s letter followed that idea and took the celebrity response a step further, providing links to the Louisiana and Minnesota State Legislature sites, and contactingthecongress.org (which, after multiple attempts, doesn’t load), enabling those demanding action a way to contact lawmakers directly. Although Beyoncé’s celebrity allows her to reach a lot of people, it needs to be acknowledged that while the “Likes” and “Rewteets” and “Shares” these statements receive are important, they only serve as the beginning of a much larger effort for calculated, levelheaded responses to these fatal shootings.

President Obama provided an example of channeling response to action in a statement on Facebook, briefly talking about his Task Force on 21^st Century Policing that, with the help of officers, community leaders, and activists, created “detailed recommendations on how to improve community policing.”

His statement, Beyoncé’s letter, and the group of other popular figures—including Serena Williams’ shock—in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice’s opening of a civil rights investigation in Baton Rouge, are not only initial steps, but an example of the continued push for the change and progress this nation needs in order to confront these problems moving forward, as these investigations unfold, especially if we want to deliver proper justice these innocent victims deserve.

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The post Beyonce’s Open Letter & the Response to Fatal Police Killings of African Americans appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

In the wake of the fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Jay-Z released “Spiritual,” a new track currently streaming on Tidal, including his voice among those of other celebrities offering support.

In a statement released on Tidal, the hip-hop mogul charted a backstory for the song, expressing that he was urged by Punch from Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) to drop the track after the killing of Michael Brown by a police officer in 2014, but detracted after thinking that “his death wouldn’t be the last.”

“I’m saddened and disappointed in THIS America – we should be further along,” Jay-Z continued. “I trust God and know everything that happens is for our greatest good, but man….it’s tough right now.”

“Spiritual,” Jay-Z’s first solo track since Magna Carta… Holy Grail in 2013, is a riff that accents the chorus “Just a boy from the hood/Got my hands in the air/in despair/don’t shoot/I just wanna do good” with the incantatory “I am not poison/No, I am not poison” which serve as a catalogue of phrases that continue to haunt the nation.

The statement ends with an observation from Frederick Douglass that highlights the consequences of oppression.

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”

Here’s “Spiritual” here.

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The post Jay-Z Releases “Spiritual” in Wake of Latest Incidents of Police Killings appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

1.  Hip Hop artist, The Game, took to Instagram (@losangelesconfidential) to share his feelings on the deaths of these men and how he feels about this generation’s activism.

2. Drake also took to Instagram (@champagnepapi) with a heartfelt letter addressing the situation:

3. Kehlani (@kehlani) not only had something to say about the murders, she also addressed the various rude jokes and comments people had to say:

A lot more has to be done to stop this cycle of senseless deaths, but, in a time of such distress and uneasiness, it is nice to see some artists with huge platforms, voicing their opinions. Now to take these huge platforms and make even more of a difference…

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