Former NFL quarterback turned civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick has come to the defense of imprisoned rapper Meek Mill.
The 30-year-old rapper, whose real name is Robert Williams, is now serving time at a Pennsylvania state prison for violating probation. His sentencing is set for two to four years.
Kaepernick announced on Twitter that he recently gave Meek Mill a phone call, showing support for the rapper.
Spoke to Meek Mill & he wanted ppl to know regardless of his unjust situation, he’s in good spirits & humbled by the support the people have shown him. We’ll continue to fight against the harsh sentencing practices that have affected Meek & millions of other POC for generations.
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) November 20, 2017
The Philadelphia native is quite familiar with the justice system. But, according to Meek Mill and his peers, his actions haven’t led him to a life of court appearances and jail cells. Instead, Meek Mill is just the latest African-American male victimized by the systemic racism allegedly rampant in America.
Both the Washington Post and New York Times ran the story. Rapper and business mogul Jay Z wrote an op-ed for the NYT titled “The Criminal Justice System Stalks Black People Like Meek Mill”.
Jay Z said, “What’s happening to Meek Mill is just one example of how our criminal justice system entraps and harasses hundreds of thousands of black people every day.”
Adding, “Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences greater than the crime. A person on probation can end up in jail over a technical violation like missing a curfew.”
So, according to Colin Kaepernick and Jay Z, Meek Mill is back behind bars thanks to a racist judge whose ruling complies with America’s conspiracy to incarcerate as many black men as possible.
Or, if you’re not really buying the whole “victimhood” thing, Meek Mill’s latest sentencing could be the culmination of years of run-ins with the law.
Meek Mill’s rap sheet (no pun intended) includes the illegal possession of a firearm, drug dealing, assaulting police (and pedestrians), along with a handful of other times when probation was violated.