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White Wisconsin Republicans Force Colin Kaepernick's Name to Be Scrapped from Black History Month Celebration

Wisconsin Republicans Drop Colin Kaepernick from Black History Month

Republicans lawmakers in Wisconsin successfully pushed to erase Colin Kaepernick from a state celebration for Black History Month, multiple news outlets report.

The legislature’s black caucus initially included the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback in an annual resolution to honor prominent black figures from Wisconsin, praising the Milwaukee native as an activist “who has sought to raise attention to racial injustice and systemic oppression.”

But Republican lawmakers refused to pass it unless Kaepernick was left off the list, according to CBS News and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

State Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said Republicans would not support Kaepernick’s inclusion for “obvious reasons,” deeming the athlete too polarizing, according to CBS. They objected to another name on the list and said those included should be without controversy.

Democratic Rep. David Crowley, who wrote the resolution, called the move a “slap in the face” and a “textbook example of white privilege.” He pointed to Kaepernick’s donation to a Milwaukee nonprofit in support of area children, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Black lawmakers in the state have harshly criticized the move by the white majority.

RELATED: What to Know About Colin Kaepernick — Why the Former Quarterback Is Protesting and How It Started

Milwaukee Sen. Lena Taylor, a Democrat, said it is “outrageous” that some Republicans wish to “censor African American legislators.”

“So while we celebrate the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, evidently the Republicans don’t think the First Amendment rights should be afforded to African Americans,” Taylor said.

The Republicans tried — and failed — this week to pass their own resolution excluding Kaepernick’s name. Later, they added the Black Caucus’s resolution to the agenda but amended it to delete Kaepernick’s name, according to the Associated Press.

That resolution ended up passing 95-0 and moved on to the state Senate, the AP reported, but it now appears to be in limbo. The senate’s two black members have voted against it, according to the Journal Sentinel.

Crowley, one Democrat who supported the amended resolution, said he had “heartburn” over the Republican’s tactic, the AP reported.

“It’s sad,” he said. “What you may despise, we may lift up.”

From the Assembly floor he said, according to the Journal Sentinel: “It is critical for this body to recognize the black caucus and recognize the resolution we put forward. Many of these people that you don’t agree with will still be in the history books that your children and grandchildren will be reading.”

Kaepernick started the #TakeAKnee movement to protest police brutality and racial injustices.

RELATED: Colin Kaepernick Revealed as the Face of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ Campaign in the Wake of NFL Protests

The 31-year-old became the face of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign for his efforts to take a stand against racial inequality in the U.S. He started the international protest in August 2016 when he remained seated during the national anthem at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Later, he opted to take a knee instead.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told Steve Wyche of NFL Media.

Kaepernick received support from stars like tennis champion Serena Williams and NBA star LeBron James, but has also faced backlash and hasn’t been hired by another team since –– despite a strong 2017 season, according to Sports Illustrated.

President Donald Trump has been one of Kaepernick’s most vocal critics.