Former N.F.L. quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, is continuing his community philosophy through an initiative launched by his Know Your Rights Camp. The program aims to offer free, secondary autopsies to family members of anyone whose death is associated with “police-related” circumstances. Kaepernick has always been an advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement and uses his resources to give back to victims of police brutality in the community. He founded this activist group in 2016 to be the voice of the people and strive to “advancing the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education.”
It is reported that a certified autopsy can be painstakingly strenuous on grieving families with a general price tag of $5000 or more. This can lead to those who do not have the means to rely only on the official inquiry conducted by a medical examiner or coroner. This would not be worrying if it wasn’t for the fact that medical experts can have differing opinions that are sometimes color bias. Through this initiative, Kaepernick gives families another opportunity to finding out the truth and serving justice through a certified second opinion.
Kaepernick hopes this resource will eliminate concerns of color bias errors and manipulated evidence. “We know that the prison industrial complex, which includes police and policing, strives to protect and serve its interests at all costs,” Kaepernick told The Associated Press. “The Autopsy Initiative is one important step toward ensuring that family members have access to accurate and forensically verifiable information about the cause of death of their loved one in their time of need,” he added.
To donate to the Know Your Rights Camp you can check out their website to contribute to the cause.
