Following the lead of Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback was joined by teammate Eric Reid, a Pro Bowl safety, before their final preason game against the San Diego Chargers.
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Kaepernick was booed by the crowd whenever he took a snap throughout the first half, and was cheered only when he scrambled.
“We have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with”, he said after the game. “We have a lot of people that are oppressed. We have a lot of people that aren’t treated equally, aren’t given equal opportunities”.
Kaepernick has also taken to sporting a large afro. During the height of the Black power movement last century, many Black men and women wore their hair in an afro as a symbol of their identity and pride.
It was “Salute to the Military” night in San Diego, and in a display of his support for the armed forces, Kaepernick applauded servicemen and servicewomen during the singing of “God Bless America”.
Similar to the criticism Kaepernick has received for his ongoing protest, Lane expects ire to now come his way.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane became the latest NFL player to stay seated during the national anthem, doing so ahead of Thursday night’s preseason game against the Raiders in Oakland.
“I just like what he’s doing, and I’m standing behind him”, Lane said, according to ESPN. Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed.
To the kneeling Kaepernick’s left stood Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret who went to training camp with the Seahawks past year as a long snapper.
Neither Lane’s teammates nor his coach, Pete Carroll, knew of his intentions to protest during the anthem, but Carroll reportedly spoke with the cornerback following the game and said he’s “proud of the progress we’re making in the conversation”. He posted a photo of the two on Twitter with a caption reading, “Let’s just keep moving forward”. “No, I didn’t tell anyone I was going to do it”.
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“I am planning to take it a step further, I’m now working with organizations to be involved, and making sure I’m actively in these communities, as well as donating the first million dollars I make this year to different organizations to help these communities and help these people”, Kaepernick said. “I believe that there are issues in this country-many issues, too many to name”. “I’ve been very blessed to be in this position and be able to make the kind of money I do, and I have to help these people”.
