Let me throw in my 2 cents.
First, I'm white, and a corporate individual. I work for a Fortune 10 company and as 'white' as they come. But... I grew up in a racist household. I grew up listening to 'hatred' from my grandfather and by adulthood, naturally carried his beliefs and agenda. It wasn't until I went through college (originally for a Criminal Justice degree to pursue being a police officer) that I started to form my own beliefs, and later, moved to a decently sized city, and working for a major corporation. Who were my first friends? Minorities. Who did I find it more difficult to initially talk to? Whites.
It was honestly crazy for me to see that everything my grandfather had implemented into my head was the complete opposite in the real world. My favorite employees are the blacks, and my most *****y entitled employees are the whites. Maybe it's just coincidence, but bottom line- I believe minorities have been more accepting of me than whites since moving to a larger city. Politically, I'm actually a conservative, where as most of my black friends are liberals. But I believe in character. It's not about what color you are, where you came from, or what your beliefs are... it's about your actions that define you. And for those reasons, I've drastically changed my outlook that was implemented into my head growing up.
In terms of Kaepernick, I think he has a point. But HOW he used kneeling to the national anthem as a way to make this point, is what has upset conservatives (and the like). The anthem is especially important to everyone who has served, and many who have not. There are Americans who cherish the flag and our freedom, as much as we cherish our hobbies such as sneakers. The view of kneeling is looked upon as a sign of disrespect, so naturally, the conservatives will view Kaepernick's message as a sign of disrespect, when in reality, Kaepernick was trying to take a stance. There ARE bad apples in the policing community. But there are bad apples in every organization. Oppression is real in some cities, and in others, it may not.
But what I can't understand is this: as a conservative, why can't we all just get along? Quit the racism, quit the hatred, learn from each other, and SUCCEED. There is much good that can come from one another, yet we see so many only focusing on the bad... and thats what I just can not understand. As a conservative corporate white guy, why must we continue to follow old trends from decades ago, for no other cause than inherited ignorance that we can't make our own decisions from?