There have been 27 bullet casings discovered on the scene of Mario Woods’ demise in San Francisco again in 2015. Armed with a knife and below the affect of methamphetamine, the 26-year-old Black man had ignored a number of orders from police to drop his weapon earlier than 5 officers opened fireplace.
Woods was struck greater than 20 occasions together with twice within the cranium and 6 occasions within the again. Cellphone footage seems to indicate Woods strolling away from the officers earlier than they started taking pictures that December day. Investigators would later say the taking pictures was extreme, however no fees have been filed as a result of Woods was a official menace. Police acquired concerned as a result of Woods had been suspected of stabbing somebody earlier that day. Nonetheless, the style of his demise — it appeared like a firing squad — sparked weeks of shock across the Bay Space. That would come with Santa Clara, the place the fiftieth Tremendous Bowl was being performed in Levi Stadium, house of the 49ers.
These days the shorthand for Colin Kaepernick’s story begins at his 2016 protest in the course of the nationwide anthem, then continues with a collusion grievance towards the NFL and a subsequent settlement.
Nonetheless, you could begin earlier as a result of Kaepernick’s protest didn’t begin in a vacuum. Then the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, he started his demonstrations within the season following the taking pictures of Mario Woods.
And sadly, that fatality was not a one-off.
Between 2013, the yr Kapernick led the 49ers to the Tremendous Bowl, and 2016, 9 of the 11 folks killed by the San Francisco Police Division have been folks of colour. After an investigation, the federal authorities in the end handed the division 272 suggestions for enchancment.
All of this occurred in Kaepernick’s proverbial yard. A number of the protests in response to Woods’ taking pictures have been on the stadium he known as house. That is the place his saga started.
And after almost a decade, it appears right here is the place it ends.
Earlier this week, director Spike Lee advised Reuters that his extremely anticipated docuseries based mostly on Kaepernick’s activism won’t be launched due to artistic variations. The information was startling provided that the 2 had been engaged on the challenge for 3 years. Kaepernick himself had chosen the Oscar winner to direct the ESPN challenge.
“It’s not popping out. That’s all I can say,” Lee stated.
A nondisclosure settlement prevented him from elaborating, nevertheless ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro later advised CNBC that as we speak’s political local weather didn’t play a task within the choice to scrap the documentary. He additionally stated ESPN’s relationship with the NFL wasn’t an element, regardless of the timing and optics.
“Spike was on the pink carpet and was requested this query considerably out of the blue and that’s why it turned information,” Pitaro stated. “There have been artistic variations. We made the choice in partnership with Colin and Spike to not transfer ahead, many months earlier than any NFL announcement.”
After talking off the document with a number of folks aware of the Kaepernick challenge, I can say this a lot appears true: The artistic variations Pitaro referenced have been evident early. Lee wished to make a documentary that was closely centered on police brutality in America, and Kaepernick wished it extra centered on his lived expertise. Both strategy might have made for a powerful docuseries. Nonetheless, there have been occasions in the course of the making of the challenge when the hole of their visions led to durations of the 2 not speaking. There have been additionally plenty of notes. Like … quite a bit.
However right here’s the factor: I’m advised Kaepernick and Lee landed on a model of the challenge that each have been proud of, and that ESPN had permission to air it effectively earlier than the 2024 election.
From what I collect, artistic variations extended the completion of the challenge, and over the course of that added time, the change in America’s political palate gave the community pause. I’m advised Lee used a number of minutes of video from numerous high-profile police shootings within the sequence and that it contained important criticism of Trump’s first administration.
After the homicide of George Floyd in Could 2020, Kaepernick’s earlier protests towards police brutality have been in all probability seen extra favorably by extra folks. Greenlighting a docuseries about his work in July 2020 in all probability felt comfy for Pitaro and ESPN. Nonetheless, airing such content material as we speak might anger a president who’s focused Kaepernick, the NFL and ESPN earlier than.
How might this not have been an element within the scrapping of the challenge? To not acknowledge the White Home’s shadow hanging over as we speak’s media business normally — and journalism specifically — is simply gaslighting folks.
My guess is the “artistic variations” didn’t kill the challenge, however the delays brought on by them gave the community a strategy to keep away from a attainable headache. As disappointing as which will sound, the truth is the Tremendous Bowl has been probably the most watched program within the nation yearly since protesters gathered close to Levi Stadium to precise outrage over Woods’ demise. And the NFL stays the nation’s hottest league.
The choice to not air Lee’s docuseries on Kaepernick might not be nice for freedom of speech or expression … however it’s undoubtedly nice for enterprise.
YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow
