#WAC 2017

[banffcentrelibraryandarchives]

ARTIST BOOK SHOWCASE DECEMBER 2023.

Seasons greetings. Benito Huerta. Houston : Contemporary Arts Museum. 1991.

Some recent snowflakes (and other things). Dick Higgins. New York : Printed Editions. 1979.

Dead fuel Fuel 6 Autumn-Winter 1993. Peter Miles, Damon Murray, Stephen Sorrell. England : Fuel. 1993.

Ways to commune with nature: When city burdens triumph over the cold shoulder of a waterfall, smog begot and efforts of peace within chaos seems futile. Rashanna Rashied-Walker. Brooklyn, NY: Self-published. 2014.

Christmas Carols. Womens Action Coalition. New York, N.Y. : WAC Inc. 1992.

The Crystal Ship. George Bowering. Toronto, ON: Bywater Bros. Editions. 2008.

Snow Cookie. James Whitman, Courtney Burke. Mayne Island, BC: Perro Verlag / Institue for the Science of Identity. 2015.

Emperors of Ice Cream. Arvo Leo, Jacquelyn Ross, Wallace Stevens. Canada : Blank Cheque Press. 2017.

Short story Advent calendar, 2017. Michael Hingston, Natalie Olsen. Edmonton, Alberta : Hingston & Olsen Publishing. 2017.

[deathsmallcaps]

Masterpost of Art, Writing and Amusing Tidbits

My original masterpost started out as a place for me to link my 56 Win A Commission Stories (See below for more). Then tumblr mobile and eventually tumblr desktop said the post was getting too unwieldy. So here is a masterpost of my creations! It is not complete, because when I started out, I was not as careful about linking and keeping posts. But it is still fairly comprehensive :)

My Ao3 - Where I post both fanfics and original works that are too long for tumblr or come with no art.

Art Summary 2023 (January 2023 - December 2023) - A little showcase of my drawings from 2023! It has links to the previous years, and a new one will be posted every January.

366 Art Challenge (April 2019 to April 2020) - I posted a different creation every day for a year. It is not a masterpost (though it does have a few links) but more of an explanation and celebration.

OTGWtober 2020 (October 2020) - 31 days of Over The Garden Wall drawings for that October. It was part of the 366 Art Challenge.

Holes - An explanation of the movie Holes of which I am proud

ATLA Kuspuk Week 2022 (February to March 2022) - Drawings of various Avatar: The Last Airbender characters in kuspuks (a piece of modern Yup'ik clothing that resembles hoodies)

Derin Stories Fan Art (April 2019 to now) - A masterpost of my fanart for Derinthescarletpescatarian's writing.

Li's Friends: Horrible Pets to Protect You From a Horrible World (November 2020) - A stealth-ATLA fanart coloring book to which I contributed, and whose profits go towards wildlife funds.

Disney Princess Coloring Pages (January 2020 - now) Coloring pages of Disney Princesses and heroines that also went into my coloring books. Occasionally updates when new movies or inspiring outfits for these characters are posted.

Disney Princess Choose Your Own Adventures (July 2023) - A project I would like to continue one day. In excitement for polls coming out on tumblr, I tried to write a CYOA style fanfic. As of posting, it only has Snow White, but we shall see.

Win A Commission Contest (May 2019 to December 2024) was a project I started in 2017, back when I was 16. i decided to make a fairy tale coloring book for my little cousins, and it spiraled from there. In May 2019, after a month on tumblr, I started posting the stories onto here. The idea was that if you could guess the fairy tale (and later children's books - I branched out) from a daily post of one illustration through the story, you could win a commission. Over the course of many months and one year-long break, I posted all 56 of my stories. On this masterpost, it also has pictures of sketches, the commissions I completed, my real life coloring books, and a specific list of fairy tales I adapted to become queer :). Just as a side quest sort of thing, I also started coloring them in. Yes, I am ambitious to my own detriment, thanks for noticing! Anyways, you should check it out. The official stories stopped in December of 2024, but I do have plans to write a short, smutty sequel planned for my last story in 2025. It may be posted only to my ao3, only time will tell. It no longer allowed me to edit the post despite attempts to remove links, so this takes you directly to a reblog with the last few links of the project.

Colored-In WAC Illustrations (April 2021 to now) - what it says on the tin. I figured it deserved its own link considering that coloring what amounts to over 200 illustrations is also ambitious. I used to color these in on Google Drawings and occasionally by painting or coloring the actual initial drawing; now I mostly color them in on my phone in waiting rooms and such. Latest story was The White Snake, am currently working on coloring in Godmother Death.

Secondary Dashboards • ‘Pastboards’

[ecenvs3000w23]

Scientific Communication and How Interpretation Can be a Bridge

After reading the contents for this week, I started to think about scientific communication. There are endless environmental crises that our generation and the world faces today. When mentioning this, most would likely think of things like climate change, biodiversity loss, and habitat loss. However, perhaps a bit lesser known crisis that we face is with scientific communication. According to Watson et al. (2014), we are seeing waning support for conservation along with decreasing governmental resources and policy failures. A major part of this issue, I believe, stems from an issue with scientific communications in which the public and governments are not well-informed (Hunter, 2016). 

The readings gave me an idea: natural interpretation could be a bridge to connect environmental scientific knowledge to the public. Throughout the course, I learnt how effective natural interpretation can provoke, enrich, and inspire all kinds of people in respect to nature. As a result, it can help people truly understand the beauty of nature and inspire many to help with the conservation/environment efforts from the challenges we face today (Beck et al., 2019). 

Just dry facts are typically not enough to interest a significant portion of the public on nature and all crises it is facing (Beck et al., 2019). In fact, this is told as something to avoid as interpreters because it can cause the audience to lose interest, since they are there for recreation, not a lecture Beck et al., 2019. Lecturing is also another thing to avoid. Rather, an ideal interpreter should help the audience absorb knowledge and enrich their natural perspectives (Beck et al., 2019). 

This is something that the area of environmental education has recently shifted to, where it went from dry facts and awareness to something that enables the public to create their own abilities to perceive environmental situations and make their own informed decisions and commitments (Wals et al., 2014). That sounds awfully a lot like interpretation. 

I think Wachira (2017), from his Ted Talk on birds, does a fantastic job showing the ability to bridge scientific knowledge to the public through interpretation. Without using fancy scientific words and encompassing all sorts of approaches (like using visual showings along with story-telling), he was able to tell the audience a story about birds in a very engaging, inspiring, and factual way. His story about nurturing a bird back to strength and the wonders birds provide to the ecosystem like with the vultures bring fascination to those that might not even be interested in birds (Wachira, 2017). He also connects the tangible birds to human intangibles, such as the feelings of freedom (Wachira, 2017). Judging from the reaction of the audience, many were deeply moved by his talk on birds. This includes me as well. 

Picture of a Magpie, my favourite bird. The unique behaviors and sounds of the magpie could make for an amazing interpretation.

In conclusion, I believe natural interpretation can be the bridge that links scientific knowledge to the public. By approaching environmental issue topics in a way that allows the public to be enriched by nature in order to come up with their own perspectives, it would allow the public to be better informed and thus increase support for tackling those environmental issues. Wachira (2017) showcases how effective this can be.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2019). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. Sagamore Publishing.

Hunter, P. (2016). The communications gap between scientists and public. EMBO Reports, 17(11), 1513–1515.

Wals, A. J., Brody, M., Dillon, J., Stevenson, R.B. (2014). Convergence between science and environmental education. Science, 344(Pages: 583-584).

Watson, J. E. M., Dudley, N., Segan, D. B., & Hockings, M. (2014). The performance and potential of protected areas. Nature, 515(7525), 67–73.

Wachira, W. (2017). For the love of birds [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/washington_wachira_for_the_love_of_birds.

[lboogie1906]

Colin Rand Kaepernick (November 3, 1987) is a former NFL quarterback. He is a political activist, known for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racism against African Americans in the US.

He played college football for UNR where he was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year twice and became the only player in NCAA Division I FBS history to amass 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career. He was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He began his football career as a backup quarterback and became the 49ers’ starter in the middle of the season. He then remained the team’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. During his first full season as a starter, he helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game.

During the 49ers’ third preseason game in 2016, he began to sit during the playing of the National Anthem before games, as a protest against racial injustice and systematic oppression in the country. The protests received highly polarized reactions, with some praising him and his stand against racism and others denouncing the protests as disrespectful to the armed forces. The actions resulted in a wider protest movement, which intensified in September 2017 after President Trump said that NFL owners should “fire” players who protest the national anthem. He opted out of his contract and became a free agent. He filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the league. He withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL. His protests received renewed attention amid the George Floyd protests against police brutality and racism, but he remains unsigned.

He finished his collegiate career with 10,098 passing yards, 82 passing touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 4,112 rushing yards, and 59 rushing touchdowns. He tied for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in FBS history.

He maintained a 4.0 GPA and graduated with a BS in Business Management.

He has a child. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappaalphapsi

[yo-sostenible]

Vainas de cacao maduras de una granja de cacao en Ghana. Crédito: Departamento de Agricultura de EE. UU. -Kwabena Por martina schneider, Carolina Winchester, Sofía Tenorio Fenton yLiz Goldman La demanda mundial de chocolate ha tenido un impacto significativo en los bosques de África occidental. Aproximadamente el 70% del suministro mundial de cacao proviene de Ghana y Costa de Marfil, donde los sitios de producción han reemplazado millones de hectáreas de bosque. Solo entre 2001 y 2015, el cacao estuvo relacionado con la pérdida de un tercio de la superficie forestal de Ghana y una cuarta parte de la de Costa de Marfil. La Iniciativa Cacao y Bosques (CFI) , facilitada por la Fundación Mundial del Cacao (WCF) y la Iniciativa de Comercio Sostenible (IDH) , se estableció en 2017 en un esfuerzo por poner fin a la deforestación impulsada por el cacao y restaurar las áreas forestales. Las empresas que se unieron al CFI acordaron mapear sus cadenas de suministro, alinear metodologías de evaluación del riesgo de deforestación y contribuir a un seguimiento y presentación de informes transparentes. Para apoyar estos esfuerzos, el Instituto de Recursos Mundiales (WRI) se asoció con WCF y 19 importantes empresas de cacao y chocolate para crear dos nuevos recursos:* El conjunto de datos West Africa Cocoa (WAC) , una base de datos de los límites de las parcelas de cacao mapeadas en las cadenas de suministro directo de las empresas participantes que proporciona una visión amplia de la producción de cacao mapeada en Costa de Marfil y Ghana. La versión pública del conjunto de datos está disponible en Global Forest Watch (GFW) como un mapa de calor del diagrama de cacao que anonimiza aún más los datos para proteger la privacidad de los agricultores y las empresas. La Evaluación del Riesgo de Deforestación del Cacao (Cocoa DRA) , un mapa que proporciona una visión estandarizada del riesgo de deforestación impulsada por el cacao en la región productora de cacao de estos dos países. La capa de mapas Cocoa DRA está disponible para descargar en GFW. Estos recursos son el resultado de una colaboración sin precedentes entre empresas para compartir datos altamente confidenciales de las parcelas de cacao y una extensa revisión ética y legal para garantizar la protección de los datos de los agricultores durante todo el proceso. Por primera vez, las empresas y otras partes interesadas en el sector del cacao tienen una visión compartida de las áreas prioritarias en Ghana y Costa de Marfil para esfuerzos coordinados hacia un sector del cacao libre de deforestación.Del aceite de palma al cacaoEl desarrollo de WAC y Cocoa DRA se basa en el éxito de productos similares desarrollados para apoyar al sector del aceite de palma: la Lista Universal de Molinos (UML) , una base de datos armonizada de ubicaciones de molinos de aceite de palma, y ​​la Palm Risk Tool , un método de Identificar riesgos de deforestación en sus alrededores. Sin embargo, se consideraron diferentes dinámicas de la cadena de suministro entre el aceite de palma y el cacao, como por ejemplo:Las ubicaciones de los molinos de aceite de palma en el UML se representan como puntos, mientras que las parcelas de cacao en el WAC se representan mediante polígonos. Además, el UML mapea la infraestructura a escala industrial, mientras que el WAC mapea la producción de los pequeños agricultores. Esto generó preocupaciones adicionales sobre la privacidad y se tomaron medidas para evitar violar la privacidad de los agricultores y salvaguardar sus medios de vida.La herramienta Palm Risk Tool analiza el riesgo de deforestación creando una zona de amortiguamiento alrededor de cada punto de procesamiento para estimar un área potencial de abastecimiento. El fruto de la palma aceitera debe entregarse rápidamente a un molino o la calidad del aceite disminuirá. Esto impone una limitación geográfica sobre la distancia que puede recorrer el fruto de la palma aceitera hasta un molino, y las partes interesadas en...

[nervy-nerva]

Mercato : la marocaine Lamia Boumhehdi, nouvelle entraineuse du TP Mazembe dames

Le Tout-Puissant Mazembe dames a une nouvelle entraîneuse à la tête de son staff technique en la personne de la marocaine Lamia Boumhehdi. Avant Mazembe, la native de Berrechid âgée de 39 ans a entraîné en 2015 le WAC (Widad Atlantic Club de Casablanca), les sélections d’âges du Maroc U17 et U20 de 2017 à 2020, et la sélection féminine du Maroc en 2020. L’ancienne internationale Maroc était bien…

[freebooter4ever]

i feel like you get asked a lot so sorry if thats the case but what drawing software / tech do you use?

Haha not so often that i mind the question, it's all good! :) I don't think my answer is very useful though as im not up with all the latest technology in art programs. I use 2017 photo*shop and a 2017 wac*om mobile studio that i love with my whole heart. With a very basic brush that came default in 2017 and doesn't exist anymore in the new versions which makes me cry into my 2021 photoshop files at work. For more info on my process/etc you can check out my wip tag:

#sweet darling baby potato

LOL ok no that was the wrong copypaste, that was about mashkov. Here is the actual link:

Freebooter4ever.tumblr.com/tagged/WIP

My biggest suggestion would be to just experiment and dont be afraid to say fuck you to what everyone else is doing and do your own thing ^_^

[stubobnumbers]

Here are all the automatic bids handed out, going into Selection Sunday.

(Conference-Team-# Of Wins-Last Appearance).

PAC12 – Arizona (28-6)(2022?). Big 12 – Texas (26-8)(2022?). ACC – Duke (26-8)(2022). Big East – Marquette (28-6)(2022?). Mountain West – San Diego State (27-6)(2022). Conference USA – Florida Atlantic (31-3)(2002). Colonial Athletic Association – College Of Charleston (31-3)(2018). Summit League – Oral Roberts (30-4)(2022?). West Coast Conference – Gonzaga (28-5)(2022). MAC – Kent State (28-6)(2017). Missouri Valley Conference – Drake (27-7)(2021). Southern Conference – Furman (27-7)(1980). MAAC – Iona (27-7)(2021). Big West – UC Santa Barbara (27-7)(2021). Big South Conference – UNC Asheville (27-7)(2016). Sun Belt Conference – UL Lafayette (26-7)(2014). Patriot League – Colgate (26-8)(2022). Atlantic Sun Conference – Kennesaw State (26-8)(First appearance). Big Sky Conference – Montana State (25-9)(2022). WAC – Grand Canyon University (24-11)(2021). America East – Vermont (23-10)(2022). Southland Conference – Texas A&M Corpus Christi (23-10)(2022). Horizon League – Northern Kentucky (22-12)(2019). MEAC – Howard (21-12)(1992). Northeast Conference – Fairleigh Dickinson (19-14)(2019). Ohio Valley Conference – Southeast Missouri State (19-16)(2000). SWAC – Texas Southern (14-20)(2022).

[appro880]

An Incredible Life for an Incredible Woman!!!

[senswac]

#helsinki#wac#2017#graffiti (at Kampi)

[taylorafergus]

Girls Just Wanna have Fun-damental Rights! - Week 9

Activism is broadly defined as a “process by which groups of people exert pressure on organizations or other institutions to change policies, practices, or conditions the activists find problematic”, and the digitisation of this process refers to digital, or internet activism (cited in Chon and Park 2020, pg. 73).

The proliferation of social media and its accompanying technological developments has fundamentally altered how individuals, groups and institutions advocate for social and political change (cited in Glenn 2015, pg. 81). The introduction of social networking sites, microblogging platforms, and content-sharing services institute for the opportunity of wide-scale online and virtual participation in utilising the platforms as a ‘public sphere’ (Rotman et al. 2011, pg. 819). Habermas "defines the public sphere as a place where 'private people come together as a public' for the purpose of using reason to further critical knowledge which, in turn, leads to political change" (Kruse et al. 2018, pg. 62/63). This technology-mediated exchange affords users with the ability to contribute to, and participate in, the visibility of "national and international priorities such as public health, political unrest, disaster relief and climate change" from their computer and mobile device without even leaving their living room (Rotman et al. 2011, pg, 819).

Figure 1. Marching Women’s March GIF. Source; Rosanne-esme c. 2020.

Recent decades have seen the shift towards the use of these commercial platforms of communication for the purpose of pursuing activist campaigns and movements. This change not only belies practical motives in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their messages, "but also reflects a different world view than the one pervading radical politics in previous decades" (Gerbaudo 2014, pg. 1). Activists, much like organisations, use social media to foster relationships and accumulate followers (Swan 2014, pg. 227). Further, social media is a central component of the success of “contemporary social activism as advanced tools of communication and inform” (Chon and Park 2020, pg. 75). Additional research asserts that the use of social media within the activist and political agenda can influence collective action in several ways, such as providing for the mobilisation of information and news that are not readily available through traditional media, the facilitation, orchestration and coordination of demonstrations, allowing users to join civic and political causes, and ultimately creating an opportunity for the exchange of opinions and open debate (Valenzuela 2013, pg. 921). Social media also promotes "personal and group identity construction... by allowing multiple channels for interpersonal feedback, peer acceptance, and reinforcement of group norms" (cited in Valenzuela 2013, pg. 922).

On the 24th of May 2014, the hashtag #yesallwomen emerged on Twitter’s platform in response to a killing spree that had occurred in Isla Vista, California. The gunman had left behind a series of bathetic youtube videos and a hundred-and-thirty-seven-page autobiographical ‘manifesto’ which were quickly circulated by the public, in which he claimed that his hatred of women had spurred his murderous rampage. A day later, users took to Twitter to engage in what has come to be known as ‘hashtag activism’ - “the attempt to use Twitter’s hashtags to incite social change” (Dadas 2017, pg. 17). Through the hashtags rapid dissemination and adoption, the “resulting hashtag #yesallwomen sought to call attention to the misogynist roots of the Isla Vista tragedy, emphasizing that yes, all women suffer from a culture that rewards men’s aggressive behaviour toward them” (Dadas 2017, pg. 17). The #Yesallwomen hashtag illustrates one example within a broader political and social movement that uses hashtags and hashtag activism as a strategy for directing attention to social and political causes and bringing them to the forefront of everyone's mind (figure 2, and figure 3). Other examples of similar altitude include #FreeTheNipple, #MeToo, #BlackLivesmatter and #IllRideWithYou.

Figure 2. #YesAllWomen [image]. Source. Pantozzi 2014.

Figure 3. #YesAllWomen [image]. Source. Girl Talk HQ 2014.

Brooke Foucault Welles, the assistant professor of online activism, explains her perspective on the use of ‘hashtag activism’ describing it as a strategy wherein which people can “use hashtags in order to denote things or issues of political or personal meaning in order to gain traction in the mainstream” (Foucault Welles 2019). The use of social media in this process, however, is often criticised and denoted 'slacktivism'. The term ‘slacktivism’ conjoins the two terms of 'slacker' and 'activism' to describe the 'feel-good' measures taken by online users to illustrate "token support for social or political causes through online means" (Chandler and Munday 201).

Figure 4. Feminism Justice GIF. Source; Giphy c. 2020.

There is undoubtedly a significant and substantial “relationship between social media and social protest” (York 2014, p. 5). However, the lexicon relating to the digital activist sphere establishes a series of polarizing perspectives on the validity and efficacy of digital activism as a means of pursuing political and social action.

References:

Chandler, D, Munday, R 2016, A dictionary of social media, Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford Reference Premium Collection)

Chon, MG, Park, H 2020, 'Social Media Activism in the Digital Age: Testing an Integrative Model of Activism on Contentious Issues', Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, March 2020, vol. 97, no. 1, pp. 72-97

Dadas, C c. 2017, 'HASHTAG ACTIVISM: THE PROMISE AND RISK OF “ATTENTION”, in Vie, S, Walls, D (eds), Social Writing/Social Media: Pedagogy, Presentation, and Publics, WAC Clearinghouse: Perspectives on Writing

'Feminism Justice GIF' [GIF], in Giphy c. 2020, Protest, Giphy, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://giphy.com/gifs/feminism-feminist-girl-power-xUA7bjwn4QH5i0XbWw>

Foucault Welles, B 2019, Researching online activism using social network analysis, SAGE Publications Ltd, London, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://methods-sagepub-com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/video/researching-online-activism-using-social-network-analysis>

Gerbaudo, P 2014, 'Populism 2.0: Social Media Activism, the Generic Internet User, and Interactive Direct Democracy', Social Media, Politics and the State: Protests, Revolutions, Riots, Crime and Policing in the Age of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, vol. 16, pp. 1-67

Glenn, C 2015, 'Activism or “Slacktivism?”: Digital Media and Organizing for Social Change', Communication Teacher, 03 April 2015, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 81-85

Kruse, L, Norris, D, Flinchum, J 2018, 'Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media', The Sociological Quarterly, 02 January 2018, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 62-84

'Marching Women’s March GIF' [GIF], in Tumblr: roseanne-esme c. 2020, Tumblr, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://rosanne-esme.tumblr.com/post/158320356530/womens-march-amsterdam-11-march-2017>

Rotman, D, Vieweg, S, Yardi, S, Chi, E, Preece, J, Shneiderman, B, Pirolli, P, Glaisyer, T 2011, 'From slacktivism to activism: participatory culture in the age of social media', CHI '11 Extended Abstracts on human factors in computing systems, 07 May 2011, pp. 819-822

Swan, P 2015, Cases in Public Relations Management: The Rise of Social Media and Activism, 2nd edn, London: Routledge, 2014, Ebook Central (ProQuest)

Valenzuela, S 2013, 'Unpacking the Use of Social Media for Protest Behavior: The Roles of Information, Opinion Expression, and Activism', American Behavioral Scientist, July 2013, vol. 57, no. 7, pp. 920-942

York, J, 2014, ‘Social Media & Social Activism’, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 3-5

'#YesAllWomen' [image], In Girls Talk HQ 2014, '#YesALLWomen Hashtag Sparking Gender Violence Conversations', Girls Talk HQ, May 28th, viewed the 19th of May 2020, <https://www.girltalkhq.com/yesallwomen-hashtag-sparking-gender-violence-conversations/>

'#YesAllWomen' [image], in Pantozzi, J 2014, 'Things We Saw Today: #YesAllWomen', The Mary Sue, May 26th, viewed the 19th of MY 2020, <https://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-556/>

[thecollegefootballguy]

The Top 25 Teams of the Decade: #14 Boise State

Hello everybody, we’re celebrating the arrival of the 2020′s by looking at the 25 best programs of the previous decade.

Here is the #14 team from the 2010′s:

Boise State University Broncos

Record: 107-26 (.805) Division Titles: 5 Conference Titles: 4 Bowl Seasons: 10 Major Bowls: 1 Final Top 25 Finishes: 7 Final Top 10 Finishes: 2 Best Season: 2010

It’s time to pay our respects to the best mid-major program in all of college football. Boise State has dominated what we now call the G5 for the last 20 years and has been one of the best college football stories since the dawn of the century.

Boise State started the decade in the middle of their hottest hot streak that began with the 2007 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma. The 2010 Broncos might have been the best team that Chris Petersen ever put on the field. Led by QB phenom Kellen Moore, Boise tore their way through the WAC after beating ranked Virginia Tech and Oregon State in non-conference play. BSU found themselves as high as 2nd in the AP Poll, and were in position to play for another BCS game if not the actual national championship if Auburn, Oregon, or TCU lost. Catastrophe struck when Boise State lost a crazy overtime shootout to rival Nevada in the penultimate game of the season. The loss robbed the Broncos of their guaranteed spot in a BCS bowl as the #4 team in the standings. Instead they were left to beat up on Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

In 2011, Boise left the weakened WAC for the Mountain West, at the time the strongest of the mid-major conferences. In the last of Kellen Moore’s record setting seasons on the blue turf, it was now or never as BSU began the year ranked 5th in the AP Poll. A 35-21 win over #19 Georgia in Atlanta kicked off the season on the right note. Boise State proceeded to lay waste to their new conference home, doubling or even tripling the score of several opponents. However, the Broncos still had to navigate past TCU in the Horned Frogs’s final season in the MWC. But, the then-unranked Frogs wouldn’t let their grip on the conference wane until they had both feet out the door. Texas Christian beat Boise 36-35 after the BSU kicker missed the game winning field goal. The loss was crushing, it ended Boise State’s 65 game home winning streak and 47 game conference home game winning streak. It also slammed the door on the last and best chance for ANY BCS Buster to make the BCS National Championship Game. Who’s to say if a hypothetical 12-0 Boise makes the Championship Game over 11-1 Alabama, but it was probably the best case there ever would be for a mid-major. The Broncos torched Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl, again snubbed for a spot in the BCS.

In a way, Boise has never recovered from the crushing gut punches that kept them out of the BCS in 2010 and 2011. The Broncos remained strong in 2012, but they would never again sniff a national championship. BSU went 11-2 in 2012, losing only to a great Michigan State in week 1 and conference co-champions San Diego State. They again won the Las Vegas Bowl, this time against Washington. 2013 was the lowlight of the Chris Petersen era. Boise State went a comparatively dismal 8-5, by far their worst finish under Petersen, who was then poached by Washington.

Bryan Harsin, who served as Petersen’s OC during the glory days, was hired as the Broncos’s new head coach. Harsin’s tenure began shakily, as Boise lost to Ole Miss and Air Force in the first month of the 2014 season. BSU quickly locked down and began rolling the rest of the year. At 11-2 and the highest G5 program in the rankings, Boise State was invited to the Fiesta Bowl, back to where it all began. Of course, the #21 Broncos upset #12 Arizona 38-30, once again proving why Boise are the kings of the mid-majors.

BSU fell into a comfortable, if frustrating, position in the next several years. They were almost always one of the best teams in the Mountain West even if they didn’t win the conference. In 2015, Boise State went 9-4, and in 2016 they were 10-3. They were clearly one of the better G5 programs in the country, they just weren’t the utterly dominating force they used to be from 2006 to 2011.

Things ticked back up for the Broncos starting in 2017. Boise finally won the Mountain West again with a win over rival Fresno State in the Championship Game. A win over Oregon in the Vegas Bowl put them up to 11-3. Boise repeated as Mountain Division champs in 2018 but lost to Fresno in the Championship Game this time, and stayed at 10-3 when their bowl was cancelled.

In 2019, BSU really started to round into shape. An upset loss at BYU was the only thing standing between Boise State and an undefeated season with a berth in the Cotton Bowl.

We’ll see how things shake out for the Broncos in the 2020′s. I know fans have been anxious to really start dominating the Mountain West again, but they should still feel proud with how far the program has come in the last 30 years. As you might expect, Boise totally dominated any team that considers themselves a rival. BSU went 7-3 against Fresno State in the 2010′s and 6-1 against Nevada, though I’m sure they’d give anything to get that one loss back.

[aeropressxart]

Design and illustration: Willow Berzin of palewhite.com

[blackkudos]

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Rand Kaepernick ( KAP-ər-nik; born November 3, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2016 Kaepernick played college football for the University of Nevada in Reno, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year twice and became the only player in NCAA Division I FBS history to amass 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career. After graduating, he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Kaepernick began his professional football career as a backup quarterback to Alex Smith, and became the 49ers' starter in the middle of the 2012 season after Smith suffered a concussion. He then remained the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. During the 2013 season, his first full season as a starter, Kaepernick helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game. Over the next three seasons, Kaepernick lost and won back his starting job, with the 49ers missing the playoffs for three years consecutively. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers to become a free agent after the 2016 season.

In 2016, Kaepernick became a national figure when he ignited a firestorm of controversy by choosing to kneel on one knee rather than stand while the United States national anthem was being played before the start of NFL games. He described his behavior as a protest against racial injustice in the United States. His actions prompted negative and positive responses. The negative responses included suggestions that players who protest should be fired; other people displayed their disapproval of players' protests by leaving the stadium immediately after the protests or refusing to watch games at all. Positive responses included similar activity by additional athletes in the NFL and other American sports leagues protesting in various ways during the anthem. In November 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of colluding to not hire him. In 2018, Amnesty International awarded Kaepernick that year's Ambassador of Conscience award. In 2018 Kaepernick was awarded the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal.

Early life

Kaepernick was born in 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Heidi Russo, a 19-year-old woman who was single at the time. His birth father separated from Russo before Kaepernick was born. Russo placed Kaepernick for adoption with Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, a couple who had two older children, son Kyle and daughter Devon. The Kaepernicks decided to adopt a boy after losing two other sons to heart defects. Kaepernick is of mixed race heritage. His biological mother is white.

Kaepernick lived in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, until age four, and attended grade school in Turlock, California. When he was eight years old, Kaepernick began playing youth football as a defensive end and punter. At age nine, he was the starting quarterback on his youth team, and he completed his first pass for a long touchdown. A 4.0 GPA student at John H. Pitman High School in Turlock, California, Kaepernick played football, basketball and baseball and was nominated for All-State selection in all three sports his senior year. He was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Central California Conference in football, leading his school to its first-ever playoff victory. In basketball, he was a first-team all CCC selection at forward and led his 16th-ranked team to a near upset of #1 ranked Oak Ridge High School in the opening round of playoffs. In that game, Kaepernick scored 34 points, but future NBA player Ryan Anderson of Oak Ridge scored 50 to lead the Oak Ridge Trojans to victory over John Pitman High School.

College career

Recruitment

Kaepernick received most of his high school accolades as a baseball pitcher. He received several scholarship offers in that sport, but he desperately wanted to play college football. As a senior, he was almost 6' 5" but weighed only 170 pounds (77 kg), and his coaches generally kept him from running the ball in order to limit his risk of injury. Despite his strong arm, he had poor throwing mechanics. During his junior year, Larry Nigro—Pitman's head coach at the time—made a highlight tape that Kaepernick's brother, Kyle, copied to DVD, then sent to about 100 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, then known as Division I-A) programs. Kaepernick received some interest but no scholarship offers. Even as a senior, he received little attention from FBS schools. Although the University of Nevada, Reno coaching staff frequently watched video of his high school team, no one from the Nevada Wolf Pack football staff came to Turlock to see him play during his senior football season. Nevada head coach Chris Ault decided to offer him a scholarship after one of his assistants, Barry Sacks, saw Kaepernick dominate a high school basketball game on an evening he was suffering from a fever of 102 °F (39 °C). Nevada was the only school to offer him a football scholarship, but was concerned that he would opt for baseball until he signed in February 2006.

Baseball

Kaepernick was a two-time California all-state baseball player and was listed as a draftable prospect on Major League Baseball's website in the class of 2006. He earned Northern California athlete of the week honors as a pitcher. As a senior in high school, he threw a 92 mph (148 km/h) fastball, as reported during Kaepernick's first college football start in 2007 against Boise State. He was also a member of the Brewers Grey squad in the 2005 Area Code games. In his senior year of high school Kaepernick had an ERA of 1.265 with 13 starts and 10 complete games. He finished the year with an 11–2 record with 97 strikeouts and 39 walks.

In the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, Kaepernick was drafted in the 43rd round by the Chicago Cubs. He decided that he wanted to continue to play football at the University of Nevada and chose not to sign with the Cubs.

American football2007

Kaepernick started his college career at Nevada playing in 11 of the team's 13 games. He finished the season with 19 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, and 2,175 passing yards with a 53.8% completion percentage. Kaepernick also added 593 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns as the Nevada Wolf Pack finished 6-7.

2008

As a sophomore, Kaepernick became just the fifth player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 or more yards in a single season. Some of his notable statistical achievements were:

Only NCAA quarterback in 2008 to pass for 2,500 or more yards and rush for 1,000 or more yards.

Ranked second among all NCAA QB's in rushing yardage with 1,130.

Ranked seventh among all NCAA players with 7.02 yards per carry.

Was tied ninth among all NCAA players with 17 rushing TD's.

Kaepernick, with 1,130 rushing yards, and running back Vai Taua, with 1,521 rushing yards, made 2008 the first year in school history that Nevada had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.

Despite playing the entire second half with an ankle injury, he set a new Humanitarian Bowl record with 370 yards passing and was awarded the MVP in a losing effort. He was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year at the end of the season. He was the first sophomore to win this award since Marshall Faulk of San Diego State did in 1992. He was also named first team All-WAC quarterback.

2009

Kaepernick was named the pre-season WAC Offensive Player of the Year at the WAC Media's event in July. On August 3 it was announced he was named to the Davey O'Brien Award pre-season watch list. On August 14 it was announced that he was named to the pre-season Maxwell Award watch list and on August 17 to the Manning Award watch list. Kaepernick led the Wolf Pack to an 8–5 record and a second-place finish in the WAC behind undefeated Boise State. He was named second team All-WAC quarterback. He was the first player in Nevada history to earn the team's MVP award twice, doing so in 2008 as well.

He finished the 2009 season with 2,052 passing yards and 1,183 rushing yards. He became the first player in NCAA history to record back-to-back 2,000/1,000 yard seasons. His 1,183 rush yards along with Luke Lippincott's 1,034 and Vai Taua's 1,345 makes him a part of the first trio of teammates in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards each in the same season.

2010

Entering the 2010 NCAA season, Kaepernick ranked first among active college football players in rushing touchdowns. He was second in yards-per-carry (behind Wolf Pack teammate Vai Taua), total offense-per-game, and touchdowns scored. He ranked third in yards-per-play and fourth in pass touchdowns and total number of offensive plays. He was a counselor at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy event in Thibodaux, Louisiana, during the 2010 camp. His performance drew praise from various NFL and ESPN personnel including former New York Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer who said of Kaepernick, "by far, the strongest arm in the camp".

It was also announced that Kaepernick, along with teammates Taua and Lippincott, would have a display in the College Football Hall of Fame commemorating their being the first players in NCAA history to each break 1,000 yards rushing on the same team during the same season. Kaepernick was named to the watch list for six major college football awards: the Manning Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Paul Hornung Award, the Maxwell Award, the Unitas Award, and the Walter Camp Award.

On November 26, Kaepernick led his team to a 34–31 overtime victory against the previously undefeated Boise State Broncos, snapping a 24-game win streak that had dated back to the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl. This game was played on Nevada's senior night, the final home game for Kaepernick. Nevada Head Coach Chris Ault would later call this game the "most important win in program history". During this game, Kaepernick surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for this season, becoming the first player in NCAA history to have over 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing for three consecutive seasons. Along with Taua's 131 yards rushing in the game, the duo became the NCAA's all-time leaders in rushing yards by teammates (8,285) passing the legendary SMU "Pony Express" duo of Eric Dickerson and Craig James (8,193).

On December 4 against Louisiana Tech University, Kaepernick joined Florida's Tim Tebow as the second quarterback in FBS history to throw for 20 touchdowns and run for 20 in the same season. Later that same evening, Auburn's Cam Newton joined Tebow and Kaepernick as the third. Kaepernick's three rushing touchdowns in that game also placed him in a tie with former Nebraska quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch for most rushing touchdowns in FBS history by a quarterback with 59 in his career. Nevada claimed a share of the WAC title after defeating Louisiana Tech. Kaeperick was named WAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year with Kellen Moore, who won the award in 2009.

Kaepernick is the only quarterback in the history of Division I FBS college football to have passed for over 10,000 yards and rushed for over 4,000 yards in a collegiate career. He is also the only Division I FBS quarterback to have passed for over 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards in a single season three times in a career (consecutively).

Kaepernick graduated from Nevada in December 2010 with a bachelor's degree in business management and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Statistics

Professional career

Upon graduation, Kaepernick signed with XAM Sports and Entertainment. He spent time in Atlanta, Georgia, training for the NFL Scouting Combine at Competitive Edge Sports with trainer Chip Smith and quarterbacks coach Roger Theder.

2011 NFL Draft

On April 29, 2011, the San Francisco 49ers traded up with the Denver Broncos from the thirteenth pick in the second round (45th overall) to select Kaepernick as the fourth pick in the second round (36th overall) at the 2011 NFL draft. The Broncos received picks 45, 108, and 141 overall in exchange for the 36th overall pick.

San Francisco 49ers2011 season

For the 2011 preseason, Kaepernick completed 24-of-50 passes for 257 yards and five interceptions. Kaepernick spent the 2011 season as backup to Alex Smith and played his first game in Week 4 (October 2) on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. On third down and 17 during the first quarter, he came in for Smith as quarterback with the offense in shotgun formation and handed off to Frank Gore, who ran for five yards. In the Week 5 (October 9) home game, a 48–3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kaepernick completed three passes for 35 yards. However, he failed to complete two passes in the 49ers' Week 13 (December 4) game, a 26–0 win over the St. Louis Rams. The 49ers finished the 2011 regular season 13–3 but lost the NFC championship to the eventual Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants by a score of 20–17.

2012 season

In 2012 against the New York Jets, Kaepernick scored his first career touchdown on a seven-yard run. Throughout the early season, Kaepernick was used as a wildcat quarterback. In Week 10 against the St. Louis Rams, Kaepernick replaced starter Alex Smith, who had suffered a concussion in the first half. However, the game would end in a rare 24–24 tie, the first tie in the NFL in four years.

With Smith still recovering, Kaepernick got his first NFL start the next game on November 19, during a Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears at Candlestick Park. Kaepernick completed 16-of-23 for 246 yards with two touchdowns in a 32–7 win against a highly ranked Bears defense. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke highly of Kaepernick's performance after the game, leaving open the possibility of Kaepernick continuing to start. "Usually tend to go with the guy who's got the hot hand, and we've got two quarterbacks that have got a hot hand", Harbaugh said. A quarterback controversy began. Smith was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (104.1), led the league in completion percentage (70%), and had been 19–5–1 as a starter under Harbaugh, while Kaepernick was considered more dynamic with his scrambling ability and arm strength.

Smith was cleared to play the day before the following game, but Harbaugh chose not to rush him back and again started Kaepernick. In a rematch of the 2012 playoffs against the New Orleans Saints, the 49ers won 31–21 with Kaepernick throwing for a touchdown and running for another. The following week, Harbaugh announced that Kaepernick would start for the 8–2–1 49ers against St. Louis. Harbaugh stated that Kaepernick's assignment was week-to-week, not necessarily permanent, but he remained the starter for the rest of the season.

In his first career postseason start, the 49ers won 45–31 against the Green Bay Packers, and he set an NFL single-game record for most rushing yards by a quarterback with 181, breaking Michael Vick's record of 173 in a 2002 regular season game. He also broke the 49ers postseason rushing record, regardless of position. Kaepernick carried the ball 16 times for 181 yards and scrambled five times for 75 yards, including touchdowns of 20 and 56 yards, and collected another 99 yards rushing on zone-read option plays. He also passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns. In total, Kaepernick had 444 yards of total offense with four touchdowns. Kaepernick became the third player after Jay Cutler in 2011 and Otto Graham in both 1954 and 1955 to run for two touchdowns and pass for two others in a playoff game. In the NFC Championship game, the 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 28–24 with Kaepernick completing 16-of-21 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown. The team advanced to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans against the Baltimore Ravens. Kaepernick threw for a touchdown and ran for another, but the 49ers fell behind early and could not come back, losing by a score of 31–34.

2013 season

In the season opener of the 2013 season against the Green Bay Packers, Kaepernick threw for a career-high 412 yards and three touchdowns, the first 400-yard game by a 49ers quarterback since Tim Rattay on October 10, 2004. Of the total 412 yards, 208 yards were to newly acquired teammate Anquan Boldin, making his debut as a 49er. In addition, Kaepernick's performance also marked the first 400-yard passing with three touchdowns performance by a 49ers quarterback since Jeff Garcia in the 1999 season.

In the NFC Championship Game against eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Kaepernick rushed for 130 yards, including a 58-yard run, and passed for 153 yards. The 49ers led until the fourth quarter. Two turnovers by Kaepernick led to the Seahawks having a 23–17 lead with a few minutes left. Kaepernick drove the 49ers to the red zone but with 22 seconds left, Kaepernick's pass intended for Michael Crabtree was tipped by Seattle's Richard Sherman and intercepted by Malcolm Smith, ending the 49ers' season and attempt to return to the Super Bowl. Kaepernick ended the season with 3,197 yards passing, 21 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions. He also finished with 524 yards rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

2014 season

On June 4, Kaepernick signed a six-year contract extension with the 49ers, worth up to $126 million, including $54 million in potential guarantees, and $13 million fully guaranteed.

On September 17, Kaepernick was fined by the NFL for using inappropriate language on the field. On October 9, he was fined $10,000 by the NFL for appearing at a post-game press conference wearing headphones from Beats by Dre, while the league's headphone sponsor was Bose. In a game against the San Diego Chargers, he ran for a 90-yard touchdown. The 49ers finished the season 8–8 and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Kaepernick threw for 3,369 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He rushed for 639 yards and one touchdown. Following the season, head coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach the University of Michigan.

2015 season

In 2015, Kaepernick struggled under new head coach Jim Tomsula. A day after a 27–6 collapse at St. Louis in Week 8, Kaepernick lost his starting job to backup Blaine Gabbert for Week 9 against Atlanta. With Gabbert starting as their new quarterback, the 49ers narrowly won 17–16. On November 21, the 49ers announced that Kaepernick would miss the rest of the season because of an injured left shoulder that required surgery. He finished the season with 1,615 yards passing, six passing touchdowns, five interceptions and 256 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown.

Head coach Tomsula was fired following the season and the 49ers hired Chip Kelly as his replacement. In February 2016, Kaepernick expressed an interest in being traded.

2016 season

Kaepernick entered the 2016 season competing for starting quarterback position with Gabbert. On September 3, 2016, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly named Gabbert as the starter for the beginning of the 2016 season. Prior to the 49ers Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills, Kelly announced Kaepernick would start, marking his first start of the season. On October 13, it was announced that he and the 49ers restructured his contract, turning it into a two-year deal with a player option for the next season. He completed 13-of-29 passes, with 187 passing yards, one passing touchdown and 66 rushing yards in the 49ers 45-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. On November 27, he recorded 296 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 113 yards rushing in the 49ers' 24-31 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He joined Michael Vick, Cam Newton, Randall Cunningham, and Marcus Mariota as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to record at least three passing touchdowns and 100 yards rushing in a game. In a Week 13 loss to the Chicago Bears, Kaepernick threw a career-low four yards before getting benched for Gabbert. He returned to the starting lineup the following week and threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers' 13-41 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. On December 24, Kaepernick recorded 281 total yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception, one rushing touchdown, and a two-point conversion on the game-winning drive as the 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 22-21 to get their first victory on the season with Kaepernick as the starter. For the 2016 NFL season, Kaepernick played twelve games and ended the season with 2,241 passing yards, sixteen passing touchdowns, four interceptions and added 468 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

On March 3, 2017, Kaepernick officially opted out of his contract with the 49ers, an option as part of his restructured contract, therefore making him a free agent at the start of the 2017 league year.

Professional statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs

U.S. national anthem protest

2016

In the 49ers third preseason game of the 2016 season, Kaepernick was noticed sitting down during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as opposed to the tradition of standing. During a post-game interview, he explained his position stating, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. 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", referencing a series of events that led to the Black Lives Matter movement and adding that he would continue to protest until he feels like "[the American flag] represents what it's supposed to represent". In the 49ers' fourth and final preseason game of 2016, Kaepernick opted to kneel during the U.S. national anthem rather than sit as he did in their previous games. He explained his decision to switch was an attempt to show more respect to former and current U.S. military members while still protesting during the anthem after having a conversation with former NFL player and U.S. military veteran Nate Boyer. After the September 2016 police shootings of Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott, Kaepernick commented publicly on the shootings saying, "this is a perfect example of what this is about".

Kaepernick soon became highly polarizing as numerous people took public stances either supporting or maligning Kaepernick's actions; in many cases this polarization correlates with racial divisions. Various members of the NFL and other athletes across the United States, such as American professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe, also began kneeling and/or raising their fist like the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. Some U.S. military veterans voiced support using the social media hashtag "#VeteransForKaepernick". In the following weeks, Kaepernick's jersey became the top-selling jersey on the NFL's official shop website. An NFL fan poll was taken during the beginning of the 2016 NFL season and Kaepernick was voted the most disliked player in the NFL; this poll was polarized, with 37% of Caucasians disliking him "a lot", and 42% of African-Americans liking him "a lot." A few people posted videos of them burning Kaepernick jerseys. Former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason called Kaepernick's actions "an embarrassment" while an anonymous NFL executive called Kaepernick "a traitor". The 2016 NFL season also saw a significant drop in their television ratings. Polls suggest that fans boycotting the NFL because of Kaepernick-inspired protests were a contributor to the decline in viewers. He also stated that he received death threats.

In September 2016, sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson wrote of the double bind faced by black people: "Black folk have, throughout history, displayed their patriotism by criticizing the nation for its shortcomings, and they have been, in turn, roundly criticized." Dyson suggested that the wisdom of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass maintains relevance to racism in the context of Kaepernick and protest. Dyson concluded, "When a black athlete bravely speaks up, we punish him."

2017

In August 2017, former NYPD officer Frank Serpico gave a speech live on Facebook and stood with police officers at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in support of Kaepernick. The same month, Pro Football Hall of Famer and longtime civil rights activist Jim Brown told an interviewer that while he "wants to be in [Kaepernick's] corner", he would never "desecrate my flag and my national anthem."

In September 2017, President Donald Trump sent out multiple tweets, in which he advocated that NFL players should be either fired or suspended if they fail to stand up for the national anthem. In response, many NFL teams and players stood together to protest against Trump's opinion. The players knelt, locked arms, or remained in the locker room during the playing of the anthem.

2018

In September 2018, Nike included Kaepernick in its 30th anniversary ad campaign of its Just Do It slogan. The company, which supplies game-day uniforms and sideline apparel for the NFL's 32 teams, also agreed to donate to Kaepernick's "Know Your Rights" campaign.

Controversy over free agency

Following his departure from the 49ers, Kaepernick went unsigned through the off-season and 2017 training camps, leading to allegations that he was being blackballed because of his on-field political actions, as opposed to his performance, a notion supported by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. Other players, including New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and former teammate Alex Smith, have stated that they believe his sporting ability is competitive in the NFL, and they are incredulous of his prolonged unemployment, while former quarterback Michael Vick argued that he was not signed because his performance had declined. Outside of the NFL, President Donald Trump claimed that Kaepernick's situation was caused by a fear that he would use Twitter to create a public relations crisis for any team that signed him. Kyle Wagner of FiveThirtyEight analysed his recent performance and found that no above-average QB of his level stays unemployed that long, implying that the reason must not be a sporting one. Dan Graziano of ESPN reasoned that the issue dealt more with labor and management battles rather than Kaepernick's beliefs or performance.

In late July and early August 2017, the Baltimore Ravens were reportedly working to extend an offer to Kaepernick. According to former Ravens player Ray Lewis; the offer was terminated after Kaepernick's girlfriend Nessa Diab– who works as a radio host –posted an incendiary tweet that compared Ravens team owner Steve Bisciotti to a slave owner, and player Ray Lewis to a slave. Other reports, however, stated that Bisciotti had been objecting to signing Kaepernick before the incident. A high-ranking member of the military had also raised concerns about bringing the polarizing quarterback to Baltimore.

In November 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, alleging that NFL owners colluded to keep him out of the league. In August 2018 it was reported that system arbitrator Stephen B. Burbank denied the NFL's request to dismiss the case, the decision meant there was sufficient evidence for the case to go to trial.

Activism

In 2016, after kneeling during the playing of the U.S. national anthem prior to NFL games in protest to what he believed to be racial injustices against black Americans, Kaepernick pledged to donate one million dollars to "organizations working in oppressed communities." In 2018, Kaepernick announced that he would make the final $100,000 donation of his "Million Dollar Pledge" in the form of $10,000 donations to charities that would be matched by celebrities.

In 2017, Kaepernick was named GQ magazine's "Citizen of the Year" for his efforts.

In November 2017, Kaepernick was honored with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award by presenter Beyoncé. Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. Forty years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed." Ali's widow, Lonnie Ali, was consulted and, in a statement to Sports Illustrated, drew parallels between the two athletic civil rights activists:

In April 2018, Amnesty International honored Kaepernick with the 2018 Ambassador of Conscience Award. The award celebrates 'individuals and groups who speak out for justice'. In a statement about the award, Kaepernick stated that Amnesty's award was one shared "with all of the countless people throughout the world combating the human rights violations of police officers, and their uses of oppressive and excessive force".

On October 11 2018 Kaepernick was awarded the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal. The Medal is awarded by the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University to individuals who "have made significant contributions to African and African-American history and culture, and more broadly, are individuals who advocate for intercultural understanding and human rights in an increasingly global and interconnected world."

Personal life

Kaepernick was baptized Methodist, confirmed Lutheran, and attended a Baptist church during his college years. Kaepernick spoke about his faith saying, "My faith is the basis from where my game comes from. I've been very blessed to have the talent to play the game that I do and be successful at it. I think God guides me through every day and helps me take the right steps and has helped me to get to where I'm at. When I step on the field, I always say a prayer, say I am thankful to be able to wake up that morning and go out there and try to glorify the Lord with what I do on the field. I think if you go out and try to do that, no matter what you do on the field, you can be happy about what you did."

Kaepernick has multiple tattoos. His right arm features a scroll with the Bible verse Psalm 18:39 written on it. Tattooed under the scroll are praying hands with the phrase "To God The Glory" written on them. To the left of both the scroll and praying hands is the word "Faith" written vertically. His left arm features a Christian cross with the words "Heaven Sent" on it referring to Jesus. Written above and below the cross is the phrase "God Will Guide Me". Written to the left and right of the cross is the Bible verse Psalm 27:3. His chest features the phrase "Against All Odds" and artwork around it that represents "inner strength, spiritual growth, and humility". His back features a mural of angels against demons. Near the end of the 2012 NFL season, Kaepernick's signature touchdown celebration involved flexing and kissing the bicep of his right arm. Kaepernick says he kisses his "Faith", "To God The Glory", and Psalm 18:39 tattoos and the reason he does the celebration is because "God has brought me this far. He has laid out a phenomenal path for me. And I can't do anything but thank Him."

Kaepernick reportedly started dating radio personality and television host Nessa Diab in July 2015, and officially went public about their relationship in February 2016. Kaepernick began following a vegan diet in late 2015.

Wikipedia

[ntulgbthist]

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Bride of Frankenstein, The, (1935, Universal Pictures), dir. James Whale

British Library, ‘Arena Three’, LGBT histories collection, at https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/arena-three

Letters from ‘Marty’ to ‘Howard’ (pseudonyms), January 30 and 31 1945

McKay, Claude, Home to Harlem, (Northeastern University Press, 1987)

National Archives, File 333.9, Record Group No. 159, ‘Investigations of Conditions in the 3d WAC Training Center, Oglethorpe, Georgia’, 19 July 1944

‘Report of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution’, Wolfenden Report, at www.parliament.uk 

The Royal Family, ‘Diana, Princess of Wales’ The Home of Royal Family, at https://www.royal.uk/search?tags%5B%5D=Diana

‘The Victorian view of same-sex desire’ BBC Report, at http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170405-the-victorian-view-of-same-sex-desire

Secondary Sources

“‘Alan Turing Law”: Thousands of Gay men to be Pardoned’, BBC News, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-37711518, [accessed 24 January 2018

Berube, Alan, Marching to a Different Drummer’, in Martin Bauml Duberman (ed.),  Hidden From History; Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past, (Penguin Group: London, 1991)  

Bouzanquet, Jean Francois, Fast Ladies: Female Racing Driver 1888 to 1970, (Veloce: Dorset: 2009)

Blake, Nigel, Smeyers, Paul, Education in the age of nihilism: Education and moral standards, (Routledge, London: 2000)

Bullock, Darryl W, ‘Pansy Craze: The Wild 1930’s Drag Parties that kick-started Gay nightlife’, The Guardian, 14 September 2017, [accessed 24 January 2019]

Crompton, Louis, Homosexuality and Civilisation, (HUP, London: 2003)

Copeland, Jack, ‘Alan Turing: the codebreaker who saved “millions of lives”’, BBC News Technology, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18419691 [accessed 24 January 2019

Dio, Cassius, LXXX.16, p.471 (accessed via http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/80*.html#79-16)

Dover, Kenneth, Greek Homosexuality, (HUP, Cambridge: 1978) 

Elman, R. Amy, ‘Triangles and Tribulations: The Politics of Nazi Symbols’, Journal of Homosexuality, (The Hayworth Press, 1996), 30, (3

Gerstner, David A, Routledge international encyclopaedia of queer culture (Routledge: London: 2010)

Hall, Lesley A, Sex, Gender and Social Change in Britain since 1880 (Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2000)

Hamer, Emily, Britannia’s Glory: a history of twentieth-century lesbians (Cassell: London: 1995

Halperin, David M, ‘One hundred years of homosexuality’, in David M. Halperin (ed.), One hundred years of homosexuality and other essays on Greek love (Routledge, London: 1990)

History of Horror with Mark Gatiss, (BBC 4), BBC 4, (11 October 2010)

Holmen, Nicole, ‘Examining Greek Pederastic Relationships’ Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 2:02, p.1

McKenna, Neil, Fanny and Stella, The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian Britain (Faber and Faber Limited, London, 2013)

Miller, Andrew H, Adams, James Eli, Sexualities in Victorian Britain (Indiana University Press, USA, 1996)

Robb, Graham, Strangers: Homosexual Love in the Nineteenth Century (Picador, London, 2003) 

‘Royal Pardon for Codebreaker Alan Turing’, BBC News Technology, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25495315, [accessed 24 January 2018] 

Schwarz, A.B. Christa, Gay Voices of the Harlem Renaissance, (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2003)

Turner, Georgina, ‘Catching the wave: Britain’s lesbian publishing goes commercial’, Journalism Studies, 10:6 (2009)

Weeks, Jeffrey, Coming Out: the emergence of LGBT identities in Britain from the nineteenth century to the present (Quartet Books: London: 2016)

Winkler, John J, The Constraints of Desire: Anthropology of Sex and Gender in Ancient Greece, (Routledge, London: 1990) 

Woods, Gregory, A History of Gay Literature: The Male Tradition, (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1998)

[lboogie1906]

Colin Rand Kaepernick (born November 3, 1987) is a former NFL quarterback. He is a political activist, known for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racism against African Americans in the US. He played college football for UNLV where he was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year twice and became the only player in NCAA Division I FBS history to amass 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career. He was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He began his football career as a backup quarterback and became the 49ers' starter in the middle of the season. He then remained the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. During his first full season as a starter, he helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game. During the 49ers' third preseason game in 2016, he began to sit during the playing of the National Anthem before games, as a protest against racial injustice and systematic oppression in the country. The protests received highly polarized reactions, with some praising him and his stand against racism and others denouncing the protests as disrespectful to the armed forces. The actions resulted in a wider protest movement, which intensified in September 2017 after President Trump said that NFL owners should "fire" players who protest the national anthem. He opted out of his contract and became a free agent. He filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the league. He withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL. His protests received renewed attention amid the George Floyd protests against police brutality and racism, but he remains unsigned. He finished his collegiate career with 10,098 passing yards, 82 passing touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 4,112 rushing yards, and 59 rushing touchdowns. He tied for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in FBS history. He maintained a 4.0 GPA and graduated with a BS in Business Management. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappaalphapsi https://www.instagram.com/p/CkfJYrYMTgS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=