There have been headlines recently detailing Colin Kaepernick’s and Jay-Z’s interactions during the police corruption movement, and public perspective is interesting to those of us who started this renewed fight. Many of us who started the police corruption movement were police corruption victims advocating for our lives and rights and wanting to prevent the injustice from happening to other people. Addressing police corruption and preventing it from happening through policy and justice was always the main priority. Celebrities can help with that cause, and funding can as well if distributed properly, however, the power to pass policy and hold the police accountable was always with the people. Without the votes needed to influence policy there is no political power.

For those of us who did start the police corruption movement, we did not get “opportunities” for truly fighting for the cause.  We did not get rewarded. We did not even get recognized. We were blacklisted, defamed, and discredited by media, and worse.

The true leaders of the police corruption movement and the revolution did not get brand deals or endorsements, we were attempted, and some leaders were taken out.

This is the true history of the police corruption movement, and not the story that American media told you. Colin Kaepernick worked with those who were blacklisting and stealing from victims prior to his spout with Jay-Z. People like infamous police corruption scammer and race cosplayer Jeffery Shaun King Jr. Publicly know as “Shaun King.” The man who defrauded his own organizations twice, raised funds to climb mountains and then quit on his first trek, the “pastor” who only held church once a month, the “helper of Haiti,” the list goes on. People like Jack Dorsey, Twitter.com’s former owner, whose platform was deplatforming and silencing and exploiting victims.

 The sabotage, lies, and games of Shaun King, Black Lives Matter, and others ultimately sabotaged the entire police corruption movement.

If you do not know the goals and details of “The Movement,” the revolution, which subsequently helped start and sustain the police corruption movement, certain details might not stand out to you in regard to their importance. If you are not familiar with American politics, some of the things that happened that were significant, might not seem so significant to you. The actions of people like Shaun King, Deray McKesson, Black Lives Matter, Jay-Z, Patrisse Cullors, and others were devastating to the cause and everything related. If you understand the details of what it takes to reach the goals, everything becomes clearer about people’s intentions. You can simply review their actions and know how their actions align with the goal.

The police corruption movement was never about one person in the sense that any one person is bigger than the cause. With that said, the police corruption movement is about one person, and each person, when it comes to nobody should experience the life changing injustice of police corruption. The police corruption movement was simply about getting justice and passing common sense policy to address police corruption and to protect our freedoms and rights. That is it. To achieve that goal, you have to have organizing, and organizers, and you have to have a viable plan. Without the organizing of people to vote to pass policy, there is no power. The power was never in money alone, or any celebrity. The power was always in the people.

The strongest strategic advantage that “the people” had was our strength in numbers and power once we were organized and united. The strength was not in Jay-Z’s money (our value exceeded his worth exponentially), or Colin Kaepernick’s celebrity or access, it was in the unity of the people who would not stand down to injustice. It was in the millions who potentially could have come out to vote to bring about justice.

The police corruption movement was not predicated on Super Bowl performances, or a new quarterback deal, and on their own merit both instances happening would have been great. With that said, as a replacement to justice and freedom in this country, neither of those compared to the value.

I would rather actually be free, then hear Jay-Z rap about it.

This article is not an attack on Colin Kaepernick’s character at all, and he did a lot to help the youth when he attempted to help. Colin Kaepernick is a professional football player who dedicated his time to that sport, just like I dedicated my time to my businesses and activism. Colin Kaepernick was likely brand new in the revolutionary and activism space which made him susceptible to those who exploit issues and situations. He is an NFL player which brings an entirely different level of attention from those who are only looking to exploit him and/or the cause. Many people were exploited during the police corruption movement. This article is merely an attempt to offer some perspective from an actual leader and organizer in the police corruption movement. Had Kaepernick connected with those who actually started The Movement, and actual victims who cared, it could have potentially been monumental in the trajectory of the movement. By connecting with and working with those who were exploiting the issue for their own gain, and redirecting the attention there, everything collapsed,

Those who were willing to risk their lives, and who died, would not have betrayed Kaepernick, just as we didn’t betray each other.

The police corruption movement was about justice, and about people, and victims, not a celebrity. Following celebrities instead of plans, morals, or values is how the police corruption movement failed. In addition, is this about the everyday person, or a celebrity, someone who has the most access? If celebrities can be used like pawns, and/or created instantly just like American media did with Black Lives Matter (more to come on them), then the population can be controlled through any pawn of the master’s choosing, making the will of the population virtually irrelevant, and the justice and freedom of the people at the will of the ruler, or ruling class.

The strength of the police corruption movement and the key to justice was always the people, not a celebrity.