Eric Reid, another 49ers player, joined him in the kneeling protest this week.
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The shift in protest was spurred by a conversation with former Green Beret and National Football League long snapper Nate Boyer, who was invited to the game by Kaepernick and tweeted out a picture of himself with Kaepernick afterward.
Kaepernick, 28, who had pledged to continue sitting during the performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before National Football League games, has now seemingly sparked a movement within the NFL with a teammate and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane joining in on the protest.
While many viewed Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the team’s game against the Green Bay Packers last Friday as an affront to the Armed Services, Kaepernick has said his protest is against racial oppression and police brutality in the United States.
After last night’s final preseason game, Kaepernick told the media that he plans to “take it a step further” by donating the first $1 million he makes this year to two different charities that support racial equality.
According to the Huffington Post, Kaepernick was heavily booed at the beginning of the game, which happened to coincide with the Salute the Military Night. “I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. So before these socks, which were worn before I took my public stance, are used to distract from the real issues, I wanted to address this immediately”.
Kaepernick has said his protest is not aimed at the military, and on Thursday he stood and applauded as veterans were honored during the game. Justin Frankfather said. “I think it’s wrong; it’s just respect”. “I have to help these communities”.
San Francisco 49ers star Colin Kaepernick is putting his money where his mouth is – pledging to donate $1 million to community organizations Thursday. “So I’m just going to keep listening, with an open mind”.
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“Those conversations are important to have because the better we understand each other, the better we know each other, the better we can deal and communicate with each other which ultimately makes everyone, puts everybody in a better position”.
