Reid, a fourth-year safety with San Francisco, knelt next to Kaepernick before the 49ers preseason game against San Diego.
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The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who has attracted attention and criticism for refusing to stand during the national anthem, said he will donate the first $1 million he earned this season to organizations that work with the community. “I have to help these communities”, he said.
“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”.
Kaepernick’s protest has sparked an intense debate, with detractors criticizing the 28-year-old sports superstar as being disrespectful-particularly to America’s military veterans.
The booing of Kaepernick started as soon as he ran on Thursday night and didn’t stop until 49ers coach Chip Kelly pulled him from the game at the beginning of the second half.
Post-game, Reid stated that it was Kapernick’s idea to take a knee and not sit, because it showed more respect to the anthem and military.
Reid told Kaepernick before the game of his intention to join him. “And we talked about it at length, and we wanted to make sure the message that we’re trying to send isn’t lost with the action that’s coming along with”. “We have cops in the SFPD that are blatantly racist, and those issues need to be addressed”, he said.
After the game, Kaepernick said he planned to continue kneeling during the anthem indefinitely. Kaepernick also announced plans to donate million to charities in different communities to help move his initiatives forward. Kaepernick has made it clear that he’s not going to stand for the national anthem until police brutality against minorities comes to and end. “Taking a knee is worth doing, because it’s people’s lives and issues that are far bigger than the game”.
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“The board of directors of the Santa Clara Police Officer’s Association has a duty to protect its members and work to make all of their workings environments free of harassing behavior”, the letter added.
