Kaepernick Continues Protest, Other Players Raise Their Fists During Anthem

RadioOnFire.com - Colin Kaepernick may have sat the bench while Blaine Gabbert led the 49ers at quarterback over the L.A. Rams in San Francisco on Monday night [September 12], but it was Kaepernick who remained the focus of millions. The athlete led national anthem protest to call attention to racial injustice into the first game of the 2016 season. For the third time in weeks, the Niners QB abstained from observing the anthem, joined again by teammate Eric Reid, as he knelt through the pre-game ceremony.

Since sweeping through headlines for sitting during the playing of the anthem, before a 49ers pre-season matchup against Green Bay on August 26, Kaepernick has remained steadfast behind his demand that such forces of oppression as police violence be addressed in the Black community. He has followed through with some of the commitments he made while addressing the media that day, pledging one million dollars of his salary and donating the proceeds of his jersey sales to organizations doing work in struggling communities. But beyond his personal investment, Kaepernick's stand has proven to be a catalyst for a growing chorus of voices getting involved in the discourse around the issues he's raised. So too have philanthropists begun to respond to his call, with team owner Jed York complimenting Kaepernick's monetary gesture with his donation to charities related to the issue. But it has been the incremental participation of fellow players around the league, in his protest, that continues to show the potential impact Kaepernick's exercise in free speech has had, with two teams locking arms [Seahawks and Chiefs], and at least a dozen individual players peppering various teams, having staged some sort of alternative to the conventional observance of the National Anthem.

Kaepernick's inspiration was evident among his own teammates on Monday, with linebacker Eli Harold and safety Antoine Bethea raising their fists. Across from the San Francisco 49'ers team, his impact was just as evident, as Rams players Kenny Britt and Robert Quinn stood with fist raised as well. It came to light on Sunday that at least 70 veteran players from around the league have been involved in an organized discussion around the attention called to the growing protests, which may indicate that there will be more to come as the season progresses.

Source: deadspin.com