Cam Newton has been criticized a lot lately as a result of his opinions on race and Colin Kaepernick. During an interview with GQ over the summer, he said that he doesn’t think his race has anything to do with the way that some NFL fans perceive him, and he also toed the line while speaking with ESPN about Kaepernick’s recent protests, saying things like "we’re all the same color" that didn’t sit well with some people. And the fact that Newton has reportedly been coached on race by white political consultant Frank Luntz hasn’t helped his cause either.
Some people have suggested that Newton should simply stop talking about race if he doesn’t feel comfortable doing it, but it would have been just about impossible for him to do that Wednesday during a press conference. On Tuesday, a police officer shot and killed Keith Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina, and because Newton obviously makes a living playing football in the city, he was asked for his thoughts on Scott’s killing. He responded by saying that he was going to be criticized regardless of what he said and then talked about how he feels when it comes to race, police brutality, and more.
Here is Newton’s full response:
Newton went on to say that his "heart mourns" for Scott’s family, and he called police brutality "embarrassing." He also said his goal is to "bring unity" in Charlotte through football. And after his press conference, he continued by posting a photo of him and Kaepernick on Instagram along with a long caption expanding on his thoughts on race and social injustices. For some unexplained reason, Newton continues to use a series of wild letters and symbols to write his IG captions, so we’ve typed his caption out below just in case you have trouble reading what he wrote:
Related Stories
Cam Newton Doesn’t Think Race Has Anything to Do With Criticism: "We’re Beyond That As a Nation"
Cam Newton doesn’t think his race has anything to do with the criticism he frequently receives from NFL fans.
Watch Cam Newton Share An Interesting Perspective on Colin Kaepernick And Race in America
Cam Newton says "We’ve just got to do right by each other, no matter what color you are."
Cam Newton Reportedly Coached by GOP Pollster on How to Discuss Race
Cam Newton was reportedly advised by veteran GOP pollster Frank Luntz about how to talk about race.
