Colin Kaepernick continues to make moves off the field, launching a second autopsy initiative

Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick has been an advocate for social justice for a while now. While playing for the San Francisco 49ers, he famously took a knee during the playing of the national anthem, which caused a political uproar. Jerseys were set ablaze and people boycotted the NFL, eventually resulting in Kaepernick’s contract not being renewed. Though the former NFL player continued to practice and make an attempt to get signed multiple times, his social justice activism grew with every "no" he received from the league.
After his release from the NFL, Kaepernick launched the Know Your Rights Camp to “advance the liberation of Black and brown people through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization, and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders” according to his mission statement. In 2018, he completed his million-dollar pledge, where he donated $1 million of his personal money to multiple social justice campaigns.
The Know Your Rights Camp is offering free second autopsies to families who have had family members die due to “police related” instances. This initiative collaborates with board-certified forensic pathologists who perform the autopsies and disclose the initial findings, and report the final autopsy result to the family members. The purpose of the Autopsy Initiative is to eliminate concerns and confusion around the first autopsy performed during the course of the initial investigation. This will help families sift through the potential bias and concerns about the manipulation of evidence by the assigned coroner.
Colin Kaepernick has launched the Autopsy Initiative, a program that offers families the opportunity to have a free second autopsy for all "police-related" deaths. #ESSENCEhttps://ow.ly/PHMm50I4PPi— ESSENCE (@ESSENCE) 1645830601
It’s not uncommon for families to request a second autopsy when a loved one dies from the result of a violent police interaction, or if there are questions surrounding the decedent's death. Ordering a second autopsy can be extremely costly, and the people who are most likely to be involved in a deadly police encounter are generally economically disadvantaged and often members of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) communities. If a family can’t pool together enough funds via fundraisers online, or otherwise, then the family is unable to continue its pursuit of answers it can rely on.
The Autopsy Initiative from the Know Your Rights Camp will help relieve the burden of families having to find the funds to obtain the second autopsy they need. Dr. Cyril Wecht, pathology coordinator, said “I’m extremely enthusiastic about this unique program. The opportunity to have unbiased second autopsies performed by independent, experienced forensic pathologists in police-related deaths will provide victims' families with knowledge that the true facts of any such case have been thoroughly analyzed and prepared for appropriate utilization whenever deemed necessary."
Colin Kaepernick\u2019s Know Your Rights Camp has launched a program to provide free follow-up autopsies for victims of police violence. This Autopsy Initiative will ensure that these families receive the transparency and answers they deserve! https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-colin-kaepernick-autopsy-initiative-20220224-65m4omvn6bctlldqshpzf7jqza-story.html\u00a0\u2026— Ben Crump (@Ben Crump) 1645828561
Kaepernick has received a multitude of awards for his social justice efforts, including the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Award, the ACLU’s Eason Monroe Courageous Advocate Award and the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard University’s Hutchins Center. Kaepernick may not be leading another NFL team to the Super Bowl, but he’s making strides in an arena that is changing the lives of everyone it touches.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.