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Colin Kaepernick is continuing to fight on behalf of marginalized communities.
In an essay, the former NFL star called for abolishing the police system, noting its “roots in white supremacy and anti-Blackness.” “The central intent of policing is to surveil, terrorize, capture, and kill marginalized populations, specifically Black folks,” Kaep states in an essay, arguing that reform is not enough.
“Reform, at its core, preserves, enhances, and further entrenches policing and prisons into the United States’ social order. Abolition is the only way to secure a future beyond anti-Black institutions of social control, violence, and premature death,” he explains.
Going on to describe the kind of institutions that would take the place of the violent American policing system, he says…
“To be clear, the abolition of these institutions is not the absence of accountability but rather the establishment of transformative and restorative processes that are not rooted in punitive practices. By abolishing policing and prisons, not only can we eliminate white supremacist establishments, but we can create space for budgets to be reinvested directly into communities to address mental health needs, homelessness and houselessness, access to education, and job creation as well as community-based methods of accountability. This is a future that centers the needs of the people, a future that will make us safer, healthier, and truly free.”
As part of their collaborative Abolition for the People series, Kaep and LEVEL promise a total of 30 articles that speak to the need for change. As Kaep states, “Over the next four weeks, we will publish 30 essays from political prisoners, grassroots organizers, movement leaders, scholars, and family members of those affected by anti-Black state violence and terrorism. Each week will bring a collection centered around a different theme: police and policing, prisons and carcerality, f*ck reform, and abolition now.”
Read his full essay here and let us know your thoughts on reform vs. abolition.
Here’s how the former NFL QB and others have reacted to Black people not being treated fairly by police.
