Model Jessica White took a moment to present Kate Upton with facts. On the opening Sunday of the NFL season, several Black players decided to follow in Colin Kaepernick’s footsteps by kneeling during the National Anthem. By happenstance, opening day occurred during the anniversary of 9/11.
Upton immediately took to social media to express her frustrations. “Sitting or kneeling down during the national anthem is a disgrace to those people who have served and currently serve our country,” Upton wrote on Instagram. “Sitting down during the national anthem on September 11th is even more horrific.”
Upton has the right to voice an opinion, but she should probably stay away from matters that she doesn’t fully understand.
She will never know what it feels like to be a Black person in a land that has a brutal history when it comes to racism. Upton mentioned the election of President Barack Obama as evidence that America is “a place where anyone can become President.”
But White used social media as a way to inform Upton on why she shouldn’t attempt to tell Black people when to protest. “I love you, babe, but the freedom you speak of isn’t the same freedom that some of my people receive,” White wrote. “The violence and social injustice that plague our inner communities is the reason why these courageous men are peacefully protesting. Next time a young Black male is shot down and his murder isn;t vindicated, I hope you speak out loud about how his ‘freedom’ was taken away. Now let’s speak about how we can impart love back to a broken system that you would like us to stand for.”
Upton has yet to respond to White’s statement, but she has received backlash from a multitude of people on social media who didn’t agree with her assessment. Although Upton believes that kneeling during the National Anthem is “disgraceful,” it’s a bigger problem when unarmed Black people are killed by those who are paid by taxpayers to protect and serve.
