Colin Kaepernick protests anthem over treatment of minorities
The San Francisco 49ers acknowledge Colin Kaepernick opting not to stand for the national anthem and say it is within Kaepernick’s rights to choose to participate

BY ESPN.COM NEWS SERVICES
August 27, 2016
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick says he refused to stand during the national anthem Friday because of his views on the country’s treatment of racial minorities.
“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 NFL Mediaafter Friday’s game. “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.”
The 49ers acknowledged in a statement that Kaepernick sat on the team’s bench during the national anthem before their game against the Green Bay Packers.
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“The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pregame ceremony,” the statement said. “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 to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”
Kaepernick told NFL Media that he did not tell the team he was planning to protest the national anthem.
“This is not something that I am going to run by anybody,” he said. “I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.”
Kaepernick also refused to stand for the national anthem during the other preseason games, but he wasn’t dressed for those contests because of tightness in his right shoulder.
The NFL said in a statement Saturday that “players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of 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. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.” – 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, on his decision to sit during the national anthem
Pro Football Talk initially reported that Kaepernick did not stand during the anthem. He was not asked about his decision during his postgame news conference, which was held before the Pro Football Talk report.
Kaepernick, who is biracial, was adopted and raised by white parents. He has been outspoken on his Twitter account on civil rights issues and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Numerous high-profile athletes have spoken out about civil rights issues in the wake of gun violence throughout the United States. In July, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul opened the ESPYS with a call for social change and an end to violence, and WNBA players wore warm-up shirts to show solidarity after shootings in Minnesota and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Wade’s cousin, Nykea Aldridge, was killed by gunfire in Chicago on Friday, a day after Wade participated in a series of panel discussions on gun violence hosted by The Undefeated on ESPN.
Kaepernick told NFL Media that he had thought about going public with his feelings for a while but that “I felt that I needed to understand the situation better.”
Kaepernick joins team sports athletes including Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf an
