Colin Kaepernick gets inducted into the Nevada Sports Hall of Fame during halftime of the game against Idaho State at Mackay Stadium in Reno on Sept. 11, 2021.
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Mysonne reflected on the Kaepernick protest, claiming the former NFL star stopped communicating with organizers after settling with the league.
Questions surrounding Colin Kaepernick's relationship with activists who rallied behind his cause have resurfaced. This arrives after rapper and community organizer Mysonne shared his account of what he says happened behind the scenes during the former NFL quarterback's battle with the league. Speaking during a recent interview with Memphis Bleek, Mysonne described being deeply involved in organizing demonstrations and boycott efforts in support of Kaepernick. This came following the quarterback's national anthem protests, which sparked a nationwide movement against police brutality and racial injustice. According to Mysonne, communication with Kaepernick unexpectedly came to a halt while organizers were still planning actions.
Mysonne recalled the depth of pounding-the-pavement protests he and others endured. "I was frontline," he said. "We tryin' to boycott this and that. I seen [Jay-Z] come in, he got the Kap jersey. He front and center with it. One day, Kaepernick stopped answering n*ggas phone calls."
"We planning the next action, we in the emails. They're like, 'Kaepernick is not answering nobody's emails,'" he continued. "He done left the group chat. I'm telling you this for a fact. So, [it's], 'What you mean he left the group chat?' They say, 'I don't know.' And this happened for weeks... He just went silent on us."
Then, Mysonne said "next thing you know," he became aware of Kaepernick's settlement with the NFL. "They say he signed an NDA. I'm like, he didn't tell us? So, you sayin' that we did all of this sh*t, that n*ggas sacrificed and beefing with other n*ggas, and we doin' all this sh*t, and the n*gga we sacrificed for just disappeared from the movement? And didn't even notify us?"
Kaepernick and the NFL reached a confidential settlement in February 2019, resolving the quarterback's collusion grievance against the league after he alleged NFL owners worked together to keep him from signing with another team. The agreement included a confidentiality clause, meaning neither side disclosed the financial terms of the settlement. Further, earlier this month, the Roc Nation founder referenced Kaepernick during a freestyle performance, suggesting the former quarterback accepted a settlement that required him to remain quiet. However, sources familiar with the agreement have disputed that claim, saying Kaepernick did not sign a non-disparagement clause and has continued speaking publicly about the NFL since the settlement.
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