San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick is taking a stand against the country he says is still oppressing black people. Kaepernick is refusing to stand during the national anthem.
“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 the NFL after his game against Green Bay. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
And it seems as though the 49ers are standing behind their star player on the issue of how he chooses to express his beliefs. The team released this statement:
The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.
Kaepernick’s social media profiles aren’t typical of a lot of NFL players. He uses both his Twitter and Instagram account to spread news about police brutality and prison reform as well as other issues that are important in the black community, so it’s not shocking that he’s taking this stance against the anthem.
And it seems that he’s getting a lot of support on social media:
But of course we all know that there will be those patriotic people out there who will find Kaepernick's stand offensive and demeaning to the country. But guess what? He doesn’t care.
https://twitter.com/MsDannah/status/769550687604703233