While Michael Bennett spoke out with a personal story of excessive police force, and Malcolm Jenkins and Anquan Boldin spoke to fans about why they are sounding off about the rights of black people in America, Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock continues to mock the NFL’s most famous advocate for the cause.
Whitlock tweeted a photo of someone impersonating former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick with the phrase, “Great to have Kap stop by the studio today.” The photo drew immediate outrage from all corners of social media, including the company Whitlock works for.
The Kaepernick impersonator wore an afro wig, oversized black glove and Kaepernick’s No. 7 jersey from his days with the 49ers. TMZ reported the impersonator is Christopher Reid, a.k.a. “Kid” from Kid N’ Play.
Reid, whose father is Jamaican and mother is Irish, was mistakenly identified by many on social media as a white man. Who he is does not change the tenor of Whitlock’s continued crusade against Kaepernick and the movement he has inspired.
There was outrage at the stunt, which still has not actually aired on television, from prominent black members of the media. One is Whitlock’s co-worker at Fox Sports, Shannon Sharpe.
“I’m going to address it with head of Fox sport/FS1. This is UNACCEPTABLE,” Sharpe tweeted. Later, he tweeted, “I totally denounce this skit. Hopefully we can discuss it tomorrow.”
Actor Don Cheadle was not amused by Whitlock’s photo.
“F-k is up with this guy?” he tweeted with a link to it.
ESPN’s Josina Anderson replied to Cheadle’s tweet, saying “Don, some things are better left undone–mocking a movement is one of them.”
It’s just the latest Kaepernick bashing by Whitlock, who was fired by ESPN when he was helping to launch The Undefeated and has found a home at Fox Sports and FS1. He lectured Kaepernick at a press conference last year; he has argued that Kaepernick is better off shutting up; he has written several editorials for the Wall Street Journal attacking Kaepernick.
Before acquiring Kaepernick as a target, Whitlock already had drawn ire from the black community on many occasions for his opinions on racial issues in America.