{"id":22243,"date":"2022-05-29T13:27:51","date_gmt":"2022-05-29T17:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/?p=22243"},"modified":"2023-04-20T07:36:55","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T11:36:55","slug":"kaepernick-america-2022-may-trailer-tease-by-greggwmorris-theword","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/kaepernick-america-2022-may-trailer-tease-by-greggwmorris-theword\/","title":{"rendered":"KAEPERNICK &#038; AMERICA Premieres at 2022 Tribeca Festival Thursday, June 9, 6 p.m. EST<br><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Trailer Preview &#038; Info Below<\/strong><\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_22260\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22260\" class=\"size-full wp-image-22260\" src=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"721\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling-768x554.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling-560x404.jpg 560w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling-260x187.jpg 260w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kaepernick-kneeling-160x115.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-22260\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Collin Kaepernick. Picture courtesy Triple Threat TV<\/p><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/705549189?h=bc831d6fc5&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0\" width=\"1000\" height=\"560\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/705549189\">Kaepernick &amp; America<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/user4267913\">Triple Threat TV<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\">Vimeo<\/a>.<br \/>\nthe<\/p>\n<hr align=\"center\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"75%\" \/>\n<blockquote><p><em>Colin Kaepernick&#8217;s personal awakening, as a biracial adoptee raised by white parents, coincided with the growing cultural tensions during the waning years of the Obama presidency. After years of unrest prior to the tragic murder of Philando Castile in 2016, the superstar quarterback began to sit for the national anthem. In an ironic twist, his decision to respectfully kneel at the behest of a veteran teammate transformed a quiet protest into one of the most recognized political statements of our time.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Filmmakers Tommy Walker and Ross Hockrow examine the upbringing of the enigmatic athlete-turned icon, how the fateful protest came to be and why Kaepernick\u2019s decision struck a pivotal nerve with the American populace. With perspectives from media figures, experts, and those close to the inciting protest, the documentary reveals how Kaepernick\u2019s simple act of taking a knee unearthed deep social fractures that have become ever more apparent in the current political zeitgeist.<\/em> By Brandon Harrison, Tribeca FF 2022<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<hr align=\"left\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"1\" width=\"40%\" \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Synopsis<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Summer of 2016, an election year with unrest rumbling through America. There were countless triggers \u2013 the murder videos of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, the counterpunch of Alt-Right and Fake News, Black Lives Matter, Russian meddling \u2013 a discordant national cauldron ready to boil over. It was the birth of Trumpism, but no knew it yet. Then, Colin Kaepernick took a knee and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem-0ap3000000691077\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">America lost its mind.<\/a> Kaepernick\u2019s knee touched down on the divide between America\u2019s Black and White tectonic plates, creating an earthquake in the eternal race debate. The aftershocks of his singular gesture have already rippled through this country for years.<\/p>\n<p>Kaepernick himself answered any and all thoughtful questions for a time, then stopped talking. And the resulting quiet has allowed for a thoughtful examination of the man and his story. It reveals layer upon layer of surprises and contradictions. Raised in a white family, he became a Black quarterback, while in fact, he is an adopted, biracial man. Inherently shy, he became the center of attention. The man everyone was talking about was mostly silent. He took a stand by taking a knee.<\/p>\n<p>KAEPERNICK\u00a0 &amp; AMERICA examines the man and his protest, exploring the remarkable conflict stirred by such a symbolic gesture.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Director\u2019s Statement<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">: Tommy Walker<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_22261\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_tommy_walker.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22261\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-22261\" src=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_tommy_walker-300x195.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_tommy_walker-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_tommy_walker-560x364.jpg 560w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_tommy_walker-260x169.jpg 260w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_tommy_walker-160x104.jpg 160w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_tommy_walker.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-22261\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-Director Tommy Walker. Picture, courtesy Triple Threat TV.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">As a Black man, the Kaepernick saga captivated me f<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">rom the start. It raised so many <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">of the core issues that Black people deal with everyday in America. And yet, the <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Black American experience is remarkably diverse, because while Kaepernick <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">kneeled in a football uniform in San Diego, another Black man wear<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">ing a military <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">uniform stood nearby and proudly sang the national anthem. The experience of <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Blacks in America is not monolithic. We are all different, as are our American <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">journeys.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">There are more than a thousand Black men in the NFL, but the one who p<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">rotested <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">had a singular journey that led him to make the choice. His racial history is <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">complicated. His mother is White, his father is Black and his adoptive parents are <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">both White. How did this particular set of social and societal influences lead a yo<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">ung <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">budding superstar to put everything at risk?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">The film we have made seeks to discover the parallels between the life and activism <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">of Colin Kapaernick and the tumultuous and divisive factors that have colored <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">America\u2019s racial divide. It is only partly a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">bout Kaepernick, as it actually reveals more <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">about America, the land that reacted so profoundly to such a simple gesture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Kaepernick\u2019s protest held up a mirror to a large portion of the public and millions <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">didn\u2019t like what they saw. The young man stood h<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">is ground in the face of the brutal <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">backlash, continuing his protest for twenty consecutive weeks. Somehow, with his <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">right knee on the field and his arms passively crossed in front of him, he managed to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> point a finger at injustice without saying a word.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Director\u2019s Statement: Ross Hockrow<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_22262\" style=\"width: 241px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_ross_hockrow.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22262\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-22262\" src=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_ross_hockrow-231x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"231\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_ross_hockrow-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_ross_hockrow-260x337.jpg 260w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_ross_hockrow-160x207.jpg 160w, https:\/\/hunterword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pub-co-director_ross_hockrow.jpg 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-22262\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-Director Ross Hockrow. Picture courtesy Triple Threat TV.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">When Colin Kaepernick took a knee, I vividly remember the conversations I\u2019d have <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">with both strangers, and people I\u2019ve known my entire life, about what it meant. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">To <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">me, Kaepernick\u2019s message was clear. And if it wasn\u2019t c<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">lear, there was a<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ka0446tibig\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> 17-minute interview<\/a><\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">you could cue up on YouTube where he explained what he was doing, and <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">why he was doing it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Yet, the media spun their own narrative. People had strong <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">opinions about whether he was right or wrong. I was mostly confused.<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I wasn\u2019t <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">confused about Colin\u2019s message. That was clear. I was confused about why people <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">were losing their minds over a simple gesture. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/news\/black-athletes-raise-fists-1968-olympics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">It\u2019s not like America hadn\u2019t seen a protest before<\/a><\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">. This was a massive story. One worthy of many different tellings. A<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">nd <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I hope they tell this story many times, through many mediums, from all different <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">perspectives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">When Kaepernick\u2019s knee hit ground for the first time it was a weird time in America. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Our film, KAEPERNICK &amp; AMERICA, is a snapshot of the times. On one side<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">you have<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Colin Kaepernick, taking a knee to protest real issues in this country, and on the <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">other side you see Donald Trump* rising to power and eventually become President.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>*Editors&#8217; Note: This editor believes that any mention of Trump&#8217;s name in an article needs to be perspective and in a common sense frame of mind. For this publication, #RacistMisogynisticHomophobicFascistWarmongerer works.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Gregg W. Morris can be reached at gregghc@comcast.net, profgreggwmorris@gmail.com<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KAEPERNICK\u00a0 &#038; AMERICA examines the man and his protest, exploring the remarkable conflict stirred by such a symbolic gesture. &#8220;It raised so many of the core issues that Black people deal with everyday in America,&#8221; says Co-Director Tommy Walker.  Says Co-Director Ross Hockrow, &#8220;This was a massive story. One worthy of many different tellings. And I hope they tell this story many times, through many mediums, from all different perspectives.&#8221;<br \/>By Gregg W. Morris<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/kaepernick-america-2022-may-trailer-tease-by-greggwmorris-theword\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22243"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22269,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22243\/revisions\/22269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}