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*While speaking on Complex’s “Out of Bounds,” ESPN columnist Jemele Hill stated that the rumored meeting between Donald Trump and quarterback Colin Kaepernick as part of an upcoming race summit is “really about a photo op.”
Hill noted the lack of experts on race relations invited to the reported summit, which makes her wonder what the event will actually be about.
“That to me made it seem as if this is really about a photo op. This is really about an optic to be able to say ‘oh look’ – especially you know midterms are coming pretty soon – to be able to say ‘oh look I sat down with x,’” Hill said, adding that there could be a consequence for not showing up.
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“… I think maybe the other part of it, too, is that if some of these musicians and athletes who have been critical of him, if they don’t show up, that will also be used as a chew toy for his base again to say, ‘See, I tried but this.’”
Hill also wrote an Op-Ed on ESPN’s The Undefeated saying that an invite from Trump to Kaepernick wouldn’t be genuine.
“There is something to say for Trump seeking greater understanding of complex racial issues, especially considering he has often come off as dismissive of the impact of racism on marginalized people and seemingly revels in encouraging intolerance,” she wrote.
“But we’re a long way from giving Trump a cookie, as it can’t be forgotten how much Trump seemed to take a special delight in helping to torpedo Kaepernick’s NFL career.”
Hill also reminded her readers that Trump hijacked the original message behind Kaepernick’s anthem protest and turned it into a debate over patriotism.
“Trump hijacked Kaepernick’s original message – which was never about disrespecting the anthem, but rather holding this nation accountable for subjugating people of color to oppressive systems – and helped turn Kaepernick into public enemy number one,” Hill wrote.
The rumored meeting came recently when Pastor Darrell Scott told TMZ that Kaepernick was invited to the White House for a meeting with Trump on race that would focus on Kanye West.
“He is 100 percent for it,” Scott said of Trump. “He’s very enthusiastic about it.”
