Truth Be Told

I love that Colin Kaepernick has taken a stand against the injustices of people of color.

It takes courage to do what he has chosen to do.

It takes courage to take a stand that you know will be unpopular but is right nonetheless.

As much as I believe in what he's doing and applaud him for it, I wonder if I'd feel the same way if it was Ben or Frankie.

Would I be as supportive of them?

Or, would I remind them of the cost of standing up, even when you are right?

The answer is . . .

I would have tried to stop them, wrong though that would have been.

Here's why.

Growing up in the segregated South, my brothers and I were taught to "go along to get along."  My parents knew the real danger of pushing back in any way.

We lived with terrorism long before 9/11.

To push back against the status quo meant repercussions.

Folks losing their jobs, their livelihoods, and too often, their lives was the threat we lived under every day.  It was the fear we learned to live with.

Of course, we recognized the gains we made because of those brave folks who took a stand on our behalf, but it wasn't enough to nudge us from the sidelines.

So, I thank God for the people who had the courage to do what we wouldn't do, then and now.