Nas & Colin Kaepernick Take Heat For Honoring Late Fidel Castro

Nas and Colin Kaepernick are both catching heat from fans for honoring controversial Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who passed at 90 over the weekend.

NaS called the fallen leader King Fidel Castro and tagged him as a revolutionary: “RIP KING FIDEL CASTRO #revolutionary only 5 percent understand.”

One follower commented on NaS’ Instagram, “Don’t speak on shit you don’t know about,” and others added insults in Spanish under the rapper’s memorial post, which you can see below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNQ4z3JDRyg/

Kaepernick was criticized and booed by Miami media and fans for sporting a T-shirt bearing an image of a meeting between Malcolm X and Fidel Castro in 1960 in Cuba.

The Miami Herald saw the shirt as a contradiction of the human rights protest Kaepernick has been participating in this season. A Herald reporter used the opportunity to challenge the validity of Kaepernick’s entire protest, even painting the plight of oppressed Americans as trivial compared to the struggles of Cubans who suffered under Castro.

Considering the troubling results of America’s presidential election earlier this month, it would be a good time to talk honestly about whether democracy and capitalism are really the best means of sowing the seeds of justice around the world.

https://twitter.com/JustinnLamar/status/802562868881268736

Critics of Nas, Kaepernick and have no problem finding the flaws in how Castro’s regime treated it’s people. But patriotism shouldn’t blind them to America’s own flaws. And most reactions to NaS and Kaepernick’s comments do just that.

NaS and Kaepernick have both shown they are dedicated to addressing America’s many issues with their time and money. But the same Americans who are booing Kaepernick to silence his protest are ignoring the blatant oppression of their fellow Americans. The Cubans who are so offended by NaS’ salute to Castro are showing the same disrespect to the victims of America’s government every time they salute the flag.

Castro’s death should not be used as an opportunity to further divide oppressed people by making them compare and contrast their oppression. It should motivate a new generation of revolutionaries to attack the complex social issues that still stump all of our modern governments.

SEE ALSO:

Trump Threatens To Roll Back Obama Cuba Deal

President Obama’s Historic Trip To Cuba In Photos