Joshua Morgan

Ms. Charlee Stewart

Pre AP English II
5 March 2023
Colin Kaepernick Essay

On August 26, 2016, during the NFL Preseason, Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the
national anthem. Along with Colin Kaepernick, several other players decided to followed in his
footsteps, and knelt during the National Anthem. The NFL was unhappy with his decisions, and
this caught the attention of most of many news channels, and even the president and presidential
candidates at the time. There were lots of mixed emotions, both negative and positive from both
sides of the argument, if what he did was ethical or not. Kaepernick's decision to kneel was a form
of protest police brutality and racial injustice in the United States, especially after a number of
events that took place that year. Kaepernick's protest sparked national attention and a nationwide
discussion on racial injustice, which ultimately led to him being released out of the NFL.
Kaepernick explained that he was kneeling during the national anthem to draw attention to the
issue of police brutality and the treatment of mostly African Americans in the United States, but
also all people of color. Kaepernick promised in a statement that he would continue to kneel until
he saw real change happening in the United States.

Kaepernick's protest was met with controversy and criticism, with many people feeling that it was
disrespectful to the American flag and the country. It was a hard discussion, both on the side that
fighting for rights is ethical, but disrespecting the country was unethical. Although this was a
factor, He then pledged to donate 1 million dollars to social injustice. President Donald Trump
gave his opinion on the issue, stating that “the NFL to fire players who kneeled during the national
anthem.” (ie. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/sep/22/donald-trump-nfl-national-anthem-
protests ) Kaepernick's protest also led to a significant decrease in his popularity and endorsement
deals, even losing his Nike deal. In 2017, Kaepernick became a free agent and was not signed by
any NFL teams, despite his proven talent as a quarterback. Alot of people and multiple sources
believed that Kaepernick was being secretly “banned” by the NFL due to his protests and the
controversy that surrounded him as an induvial. In response, Kaepernick filed a collusion
grievance against the NFL, accusing team owners of conspiring to keep him out of the league due
to his protests.

In 2018, Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid settled their collusion grievances with the
NFL. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed unfortunately. Kaepernick has not played in
the NFL since the 2016 season, but his protests have continued to inspire other athletes to speak
out on social justice issues. Players such as Lebron James and other athletes gave support to Colin.
The legacy of Kaepernick's protest has been a complicated one, due to the hate and support that
has been shown towards him. While he was widely criticized at the time for his actions, his
message has been heard loud and clear, and have been heard by people all around the world. His
protest has led a significant increase in awareness about issues of racial injustice and police
brutality, and has inspired other athletes to use their platforms to speak out about these issues, even
being brought up after the case with Derek Chauvin and George Floyd.

Overall, Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem was a powerful act of protest
that drew attention to issues of racial injustice in the United States. While he faced significant
criticism and backlash for his actions, his legacy has been one of sparking important conversations
and bringing much-needed attention to a critical issue. He will always be remembered as the
indiviudal that stood out from the rest, and made sure his voice was heard no matter what cause.