Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are preparing to face off in Super Bowl LV, but another quarterback is making headlines. Former NFL starter Colin Kaepernick is the subject of a new “Change the Whirled” mural in Tampa, Florida. The piece, funded and developed by Ben & Jerry’s, highlights Kaepernick’s work as an activist.
According to a press release, the mural is on Moses White Blvd. in Old West Tampa. It is 30 feet by 90 feet and features portraits of local Tampa youth and Know Your Rights Camp volunteers. The artwork shows a young person wearing a T-shirt featuring the image of Kaepernick raising his fist. Other people in the mural are wearing shirts proclaiming “I KNOW MY RIGHTS” and “Power to the People.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
. @Kaepernick7 is continuing to build a future where Black youth feel seen, heard, loved, & honored. A 90′ by 30′ mural created by Kaepernick’s friend artist-activist @2cent_bmike celebrates Tampa youth and joy on the journey to justice. Learn more: https://t.co/lFg3Hkmiqm pic.twitter.com/2lBViCgn7W
— Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) February 3, 2021
Both of these messages are references to Know Your Rights Camp (KYRC), the non-profit Kaepernick founded in 2016 to empower and liberate Black and Brown people. Ben & Jerry’s created the mural as part of its Change the Whirled collaboration with Kaepernick and KYRC. The company launched a special non-dairy frozen dessert, Colin Kaepernick’s Change the Whirled, earlier in 2021. The former QB is donating his proceeds from the pints to the Know Your Rights Camp.
“As we look back, it’s clear that Colin was on the right side of history,” said Chris Miller, Ben & Jerry’s Head of Global Activism. “His pre-game protests were before George Floyd’s murder; before the 2020 summer of racial reckoning. He knew a long time ago that we need to address the root causes of racism and the structures of our society that are so brutal to Black people. We wanted to be part of the effort to honor Colin’s courage and legacy because we share the same values.”
Brandan “BMike” Odums, an activist, educator and street artist, is the man who created the massive mural celebrating Kaepernick. He is a friend of the former 49ers QB and is also the designer of the Change the Whirled pint. “The blueprint to tomorrow is in our imagination,” Odums said in a press release. “I think, ultimately, it’s the idea of allowing people, especially young people, the agency to understand that the way things are isn’t the way they’re supposed to be.”
The new mural is only one part of an effort to support locally-owned businesses in Old West Tampa. Ben & Jerry’s and Know Your Rights Camp will also host a free, COVID-19-safe drive-thru at the mural site on Sunday, Feb. 7. Residents can pick up a family meal and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Change the Whirled, as long as supplies last.
