The impact of Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem stance has traveled throughout the sports world from fellow professional athletes to now, an Oakland high school football team.
The San Francisco 49ers QB attended Castlemont High School’s football game against the King’s Academy Knights on Friday (Sept. 23), and while the national anthem played, he continued his protest. But the rising athletes did a gesture that’s probably more moving than Kaepernick’s bended knee.
On the sideline, more than a handful of the student athletes laid on their backs with their hands raised as The Star-Spangled Banner played. The powerful image was shared by former NFL player, Kirk Morrison on Twitter.
Kaepernick came to Oakland, CA. He kneeled on one knee, players laid on their back with hands up during the Anthem. pic.twitter.com/Cae4sTopac
— Kirk Morrison (@kirkmorrison) September 24, 2016
Kaepernick’s demonstration was inspired by the murders of unarmed black men and women in the U.S. with little to no change enacted to put an end to these occurrences.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick previously said. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Before the game began, Kaepernick also gave the players a motivational speech. “This matters, everything you do matters,” he said. “I had to come support ya’ll because the same way ya’ll took a stand and stood with me, I had to come out here and stand with ya’ll.”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=whEVx-KOdRU
https://youtube.com/watch?v=PLK_ON_DBRM
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jN06fouz7ro