Remember When: Colin Kaepernick Takes a Knee
- 6 years ago
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s actions revived the civil rights movement. His 2016 protest during the national anthem sparked both unity and outrage. And while he sacrificed his NFL position in the process, he actions speak louder than those who demand that athletes stick to sports.
Perhaps the craziest fact of all regarding Kaepernick’s protest is that, at first, nobody noticed. August 2016 started out as just another NFL preseason — until he began taking a knee during the national anthem. It took until the third game on August 26th for a reporter to even comment on it.
When asked about it in an interview with NFL reporters, he explained that his sitting was to protest ongoing issues with police brutality and the oppression of people of color.
Many criticized his actions as being disrespectful to the country, the flag, and the military. After meeting with former Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer, Kaepernick decided to adjust his protest in order to “not take away from the military, but keep the focus on what the issues really are.” On September 1, he took a knee during the anthem, where he was joined by his teammate Eric Reid.
In the following weeks and months, more athletes in the NFL and other sports started to follow suit. The anthem controversy reached as far as the White House and received criticism from Trump. The NFL briefly passed, then suspended a rule in 2018 that fined teams whose players protested.
While negotiations regarding an official anthem policy are still in the works, police brutality is still a prevalent issue in the country. Kaepernick is currently unemployed by the league, but has become an admirable example of advocating for what you believe in, and is even the new face of Nike.
This video, "Remember When: Colin Kaepernick Takes a Knee", first appeared on
nowthisnews.com.
Perhaps the craziest fact of all regarding Kaepernick’s protest is that, at first, nobody noticed. August 2016 started out as just another NFL preseason — until he began taking a knee during the national anthem. It took until the third game on August 26th for a reporter to even comment on it.
When asked about it in an interview with NFL reporters, he explained that his sitting was to protest ongoing issues with police brutality and the oppression of people of color.
Many criticized his actions as being disrespectful to the country, the flag, and the military. After meeting with former Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer, Kaepernick decided to adjust his protest in order to “not take away from the military, but keep the focus on what the issues really are.” On September 1, he took a knee during the anthem, where he was joined by his teammate Eric Reid.
In the following weeks and months, more athletes in the NFL and other sports started to follow suit. The anthem controversy reached as far as the White House and received criticism from Trump. The NFL briefly passed, then suspended a rule in 2018 that fined teams whose players protested.
While negotiations regarding an official anthem policy are still in the works, police brutality is still a prevalent issue in the country. Kaepernick is currently unemployed by the league, but has become an admirable example of advocating for what you believe in, and is even the new face of Nike.
This video, "Remember When: Colin Kaepernick Takes a Knee", first appeared on
nowthisnews.com.