The protest that changed everything

In September 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the US national anthem before a San Francisco 49ers pre-season game to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

Why he took the knee

Kaepernick said he could not stand for a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour, adding this was bigger than football and it would be selfish to look the other…

“for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour”

He repeated it throughout the season

Kaepernick knelt before 11 regular-season contests in 2016. His stance inspired other NFL players to follow suit, though it also drew condemnation from those who said it was disrespectful to the military.

Trump called it unpatriotic

Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, described the act as a terrible thing and unpatriotic. He suggested Kaepernick should find another country to live in and that players who refused to stand should be fired.

“a terrible thing”

The NFL threatened fines

The NFL said it would fine teams whose players did not stand for the national anthem, escalating the conflict between the league and Kaepernick over his protest.

He left the 49ers in 2017

Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017, though the club's management later said he would have been released regardless.

He filed a grievance against the NFL

Kaepernick believed NFL team owners had conspired not to hire him because of his protests. He filed a grievance and reached a financial settlement with the league in 2019.

The NFL later admitted it was wrong

In 2019, the NFL arranged a private workout for Kaepernick, but he held his own session elsewhere to allow media to be present.The NFL later admitted it was wrong for not listening to players earlier.

“wrong for not listening to players earlier”

George Floyd sparked global protests

Following George Floyd's murder while in police custody in Minneapolis in 2020, taking the knee became a feature of Black Lives Matter protests across sport worldwide, including England's football teams.

Kaepernick was humbled by global response

Kaepernick said seeing England's national football teams take the knee was humbling and surprising. He acknowledged racism remains a global challenge and was excited to see players actively calling it out.

“That was a surprising moment for me”

Momentum has slowed in recent years

While surveys suggest most professional athletes intend to raise awareness about racial injustice, Kaepernick accepts that momentum behind athlete activism seems to have slowed.

Politics is inherent to sports

Kaepernick argues that claims sport and politics should be separate ring hollow because politics is inherently part of sports.

“politics is inherently part of sports”

Trump used sports for political gain

Trump became the first sitting US president to attend the Super Bowl during his second term, also appearing at the Ryder Cup, Club World Cup and World Cup finals.

He has no regrets about his protest

Now 38, Kaepernick says he would absolutely do it again. He has published a memoir titled The Perilous Fight detailing his childhood, racism he encountered, and his evolution as an activist and philanthropist.

“I would absolutely do it again”

He maintains his fitness and activism

Kaepernick maintains the fitness regime he had during his 49ers career in case an unlikely opportunity to resume his NFL career arises.

His legacy compared to Ali and others

Kaepernick is widely regarded as one of the most significant athletes in modern history. His use of his platform has been compared to Muhammad Ali's anti-war activism and Tommie Smith and John Carlos's 1968 Olympics…