+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
Identity

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

Colin Kaepernick continues to make moves off the field, launching a second autopsy initiative
commons.wikimedia.org

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.

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."

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.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
colin kaepernick
Joy

1991 blooper clip of Robin Williams and Elmo is a wholesome nugget of comedic genius

Robin Williams is still bringing smiles to faces after all these years.

Canva via wikicommons and flicker

Robin Williams and Elmo (Kevin Clash) bloopers.

The late Robin Williams could make picking out socks funny, so pairing him with the fuzzy red monster Elmo was bound to be pure wholesome gold. Honestly, how the puppeteer, Kevin Clash, didn’t completely break character and bust out laughing is a miracle. In this short outtake clip, you get to see Williams crack a few jokes in his signature style while Elmo tries desperately to keep it together.

Williams has been a household name since what seems like the beginning of time, and before his death in 2014, he would make frequent appearances on "Sesame Street." The late actor played so many roles that if you were ask 10 different people what their favorite was, you’d likely get 10 different answers. But for the kids who spent their childhoods watching PBS, they got to see him being silly with his favorite monsters and a giant yellow canary. At least I think Big Bird is a canary.

When he stopped by "Sesame Street" for the special “Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake” in 1991, he was there to show Elmo all of the wonderful things you could do with a stick. Williams turns the stick into a hockey stick and a baton before losing his composure and walking off camera. The entire time, Elmo looks enthralled … if puppets can look enthralled. He’s definitely paying attention before slumping over at the realization that Williams goofed a line. But the actor comes back to continue the scene before Elmo slinks down inside his box after getting Williams’ name wrong, which causes his human co-star to take his stick and leave.

The little blooper reel is so cute and pure that it makes you feel good for a few minutes. For an additional boost of serotonin, check out this other (perfectly executed) clip about conflict that Williams did with the two-headed monster. He certainly had a way of engaging his audience, so it makes sense that even after all of these years, he's still greatly missed.

From Your Site Articles
robin williams
Joy

Honest barbershop owners return stolen Olympic gold medal to US women's volleyball player

A gold medal is priceless.

via Anaheim Police Department

Noe Hernandez and Maria Carrillo, the owners of Noel Barber Shop in Anaheim, California.

Jordyn Poulter was the youngest member of the U.S. women’s volleyball team, which took home the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year. She was named the best setter at the Tokyo games and has been a member of the team since 2018.

Unfortunately, according to a report from ABC 7 News, her gold medal was stolen from her car in a parking garage in Anaheim, California, on May 25.

It was taken along with her passport, which she kept in her glove compartment. While storing a gold medal in your car probably isn’t the best idea, she did it to keep it by her side while fulfilling the hectic schedule of an Olympian.

"We live this crazy life of living so many different places. So many of us play overseas, then go home, then come out here and train,” Poulter said, according to ABC 7. "So I keep the medal on me (to show) friends and family I haven't seen in a while, or just people in the community who want to see the medal. Everyone feels connected to it when they meet an Olympian, and it's such a cool thing to share with people."

Keep ReadingShow less
heroes
Family

Mom who saved pet goose from eagle while breastfeeding is a mascot for moms everywhere

"Just a day in the life."

TikTok

Hold on, Frankie! Mama's coming!

How do you explain motherhood in a nutshell? Thanks to Cait Oakley, who stopped a preying bald eagle from capturing her pet goose as she breastfed her daughter, we have it summed up in one gloriously hilarious TikTok.

The now viral video shows the family’s pet goose, Frankie, frantically squawking as it gets dragged off the porch by a bald eagle—likely another mom taking care of her own kiddos.

Wearing nothing but her husband’s boxers while holding on to her newborn, Willow, Oakley dashes out of the house and successfully comes to Frankie's rescue while yelling “hey, hey hey!”

The video’s caption revealed that the Oakleys had already lost three chickens due to hungry birds of prey, so nothing was going to stop “Mama bear” from protecting “sweet Frankie.” Not even a breastfeeding session.

Oakley told TODAY Parents, “It was just a split second reaction ...There was nowhere to put Willow down at that point.” Sometimes being a mom means feeding your child and saving your pet all at the same time.

As for how she feels about running around topless in her underwear on camera, Oakley declared, “I could have been naked and I’m like, ‘whatever, I’m feeding my baby.’”

Keep ReadingShow less
smile worthy
Trending Stories