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Two NFL quarterbacks, one former and one current, are making headlines on this Independence Day. Colin Kaepernick, the former signal-caller for the San Francisco 49ers who hasn’t played in the league since 2016, and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz both tweeted out passionate and powerful statements on Saturday, each giving their respective take on the July 4 holiday.

Colin Kaepernick released a powerful statement on Independence Day

Colin Kaepernick, who began his protest of refusing to stand for the national anthem ahead of 49ers games in August 2016 and continues to be one of the biggest activists against racism and social injustice, took to social media on Saturday to give his thoughts on Independence Day.

“Black ppl have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries, & are expected to join your commemoration of “independence”, while you enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy & look forward to liberation for all.”

Colin Kaepernick

Carson Wentz joined Colin Kaepernick’s fight following the death of George Floyd

Not long after the death of George Floyd, Carson Wentz took to Twitter to admit that he’d been ignorant of what it’s like to be a person of color in the United States, citing his North Dakota upbringing not giving him much of a chance to be around different races. His full statement, which is quite lengthy, can be read by clicking on the above tweet.

Colin Kaepernick’s protests became a big topic of conversation following Floyd’s death and many praised Carson Wentz for speaking up and essentially joining Kap’s fight against social injustice. On Saturday, Wentz says he has now has ‘mixed feelings’ on Independence Day for the first time.

Carson Wentz now has ‘mixed feelings’ on July 4

Less than an hour after Colin Kaepernick tweeted out his statement regarding Independence Day, Carson Wentz took to Twitter to release a statement of his own.

“Happy Independence Day y’all! I’m so thankful for the brave men and women who fought to bring independence to this great country, and those who are currently serving to keep it that way! This day should forever be celebrated and held in high regard! And today, the work is far from finished. This 4th of July hits me different. Although I’m so very grateful for the freedoms I have in this country, I’ve been oblivious to the fact that when this country officially became “free” — it wasn’t for everybody! Mixed feelings for me for the first time on this day. Grateful for the men and women who fought for our freedom and still fight for our freedoms, and looking forward to the day when EVERYONE has real FREEDOM and I believe those days are ahead of us! God bless everyone and be safe!”

Carson Wentz

Naturally, divisive comments have been pouring in on both tweets all day.

Related

Rodney Harrison Once Had to Embarrassingly Apologize for Saying Colin Kaepernick Is ‘Not Black’

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Luke Norris

Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting.

Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes.

In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke’s work has appeared on  The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.