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Colin Kaepernick honored with Tampa mural, billboards for being on 'right side of history' ahead of Super Bowl

The football quarterback has partnered with Ben & Jerry’s to raise awareness about police violence and systemic racism

Tampa Bay, Florida, has honored the social justice activism of Colin Kaepernick by mounting a mural in Old West Tampa and planting several billboards across the city. It happened ahead of Super Bowl LV. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has partnered with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to raise awareness about police violence and systemic racism. As reported by Fox News, the mural was designed by Brandon "BMike" Odums - representing Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.

Chris Miller, Ben & Jerry’s head of global activism, said, “As we look back, it’s clear that Colin was on the right side of history. His pre-game protests were before George Floyd’s murder; before the 2020 summer of racial reckoning. He knew a long time ago that we need to address the root causes of racism and the structures of our society that are so brutal to Black people. We wanted to be part of the effort to honor Colin’s courage and legacy because we share the same values."

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Kaepernick and Ben & Jerry’s partnership happened in late 2020 on an ice cream called "Change the Whirled." At the time, the 33-year-old said that the ice-cream flavor might help in raising awareness on his calls to abolish and defund the police. The civil rights activist had said in December last year, “I'm honored to partner with Ben & Jerry's on Change the Whirled. Their commitment to challenging the anti-Black roots of policing in the United States demonstrates a material concern for the wellbeing of Black and Brown communities. My hope is that this partnership will amplify calls to defund and abolish the police and to invest in futures that can make us safer, healthier, and truly free."

As the honoring took place, Twitter was buzzing with comments. One person tweeted, “Colin Kaepernick sacrificed his career to take a stance on equality. I will always remember what he did and how he never backed down. History will remember him as well. BLM.” Another wrote, “Outstanding! Proud of you Kap and B&J!!!. Can't wait to taste the ice cream. Been searching for it in Maryland.” The third user said, “Many of my sporting heroes are American because what they do outside the ring, field & court mean more to me than their prowess in sport. #MuhammadAli #ColinKaepernick #LeBronJames.”

The fourth stated, “I know people who thought that what Colin Kaepernick did was horrifying. They are silent on what happened at the Capitol.” While the fifth noted, “Colin Kaepernick is transforming the lives of the youth beautifully!” However, there were a few who did not refrain themselves from dissing Kaepernick and his activism as one said, “Kapernik sucked plain & simple.” The second user wrote, “I got my mom to name one of the dogs Cappy and she thinks it’s for Captain Morgan but really it’s for Colin Kaepernick.” The third user added, “Y’all may be so called WOKE & applaud Colin Kaepernick  for his fight for social justice, & rights for people of color  but for all his support from supposedly everyone he still isn’t playing, which means NFL & front office choose not to deal with his nonsense.”