In 2016, during the 49ers third preseason game, the quarterback-turned-activist began kneeling during the US national anthem prior to games, rather than standing as is customary.
Speaking in an interview in 2016, Kaepernick said: “To me, this is something that has to change, and when there’s significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.”
Kaepernick later said that he “couldn’t show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
He opted for kneeling over sitting, however, as a sign of respect for the men and women who fight for the United States.
His teammate, Eric Reid, soon began to kneel beside him, alongside other teammates such as Antoine Bethea, Eli Harold, Jaquiski Tartt, and Rashard Robinson.
Initially, the NFL released a statement claiming that players were only encouraged, and not required, to stand during the national anthem.
No team would offer him a contract, and, in October of that year, he filed a grievance against the league, accusing team owners of colluding to keep him signed.
After Kaepernick’s attorney stated that “athletes who protest peacefully should not be punished”, public backlash mounted until team owners declared that all team personnel on the field must “stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem.”
If any team members where caught kneeling during the anthem, the team would be fined and the decision would be upon the team leader whether or not they punish that particular player.
This did not sit well with the players, nor did it with the rest of America.
For the thirtieth anniversary of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign in September 2018, the athlete was used as the frontman of the global phenomenon, along with the headline:
“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
“It’s been 4 years since I first protested during The Star-Spangled Banner. At the time, my protest was tethered to my understanding that something was not right.”
And explained that “those who have been terrorized by law enforcement, those who have had enough of their very existence being criminalized, and those who have dedicated their lives to the cause of liberation by any means necessary are demanding the abolition of the carceral state.”
“I saw the bodies of Black people left dead in the streets. I saw them left dead in their cars. I saw them left dead in their backyards. I saw Black death all around me at the hands of the police.”
“Another world is possible, a world grounded in love, justice, and accountability, a world grounded in safety and good health, a world grounded in meeting the needs of the people.” undefined “Abolition now. Abolition for the people.”
