Poll: Many African Americans Want Colin Kaepernick to Lead Black Lives Matter

AP Bob Leverone
AP Photo/Bob Leverone
Warner Todd Huston

A new poll finds that many African Americans think former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and original NFL national anthem protester Colin Kaepernick, should become the full-time leader of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The new poll conducted by Northwestern University’s Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy, found that a majority of blacks agreed with the statement that the Black Lives Matter movement is too splintered, and would have more impact if organized under a single leader such as Kaepernick, according to the Washington Examiner.

Respondents were offered a field of eight candidates to be an appointed BLM leader. They chose Kaepernick overwhelmingly, with 27 percent picking the former NFL player. “Other” came in with 20 percent of the vote, the only other choice anywhere near as close. However, of the other seven names on the list, few have anything like the high profile notoriety of Kaepernick.

“Kaepernick’s popularity is not surprising in light of the fact that President Trump’s criticism of the ‘Take A Knee’ protests that he started in the NFL has thrown him into the national spotlight in recent weeks,” said Alvin Tillery, associate professor of political science and the center’s director.

Tillery also pointed out that few blacks are bothering to become personally involved in the BLM movement and speculated that perhaps a national spokesperson such as Kaepernick, would help legitimize and grow the movement.

“The most important finding in the survey is that African-Americans are not taking part in protests, organizing meetings and fundraising activities related to BLM in their local environments in anywhere near the rate that most had assumed,” Tillery exclaimed. “These numbers provide an impetus and an opportunity for BLM activists and the nonprofits and politicians that support their work to take stock of what is happening and course correct.”

Kaepernick remains unemployed by the NFL, the former quarterback charged the league with collusion in a grievance he filed last week.

 

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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