The protest began

Kaepernick sat during the national anthem in 2016 after a string of police killings of Black men.

Spontaneous action

He didn't plan the protest; it happened when he realized the anthem didn't align with his values.

“I hadn't given the anthem a second's thought before I walked out onto the field that day, but it hit me in that moment that I should find a seat.”

Historical parallels

Kaepernick compared his protest to Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

“Rosa Parks had refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person in 1955. Muhammad Ali wouldn't step forward when his name was called by the draft board for the Vietnam War in Louisville in 1967.”

NFL exile

Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since 2016, after the league blackballed him for protesting.

Legal battles

He settled a collusion lawsuit with the NFL in 2019 with former teammate Eric Reid.

Threats and safety

Kaepernick received threats from the president, senators, and online, leading him to stay with a manager for safety.

“You get attacked from the President of the United States. You're getting attacked from senators. You have people trying to send bombs to your home.”

Jay-Z's lyric

Jay-Z referenced Kaepernick in a 2024 rap, saying he signed a non-disparagement agreement with the NFL.

“Buddy took a check, I ain't even mad at him, but along with that check you gotta sign a non-disparagement.”

NFL's response

The NFL gave $450 million to community groups but Kaepernick sees it as a PR move, not real change.

“I view that as a PR play. There was a player-owners meeting where they said, 'You need to tell your compadres to stop that other business.'”

Racial justice

Kaepernick argues that law enforcement has always been an enemy of Black people, a view he still holds today.

“I told my teammates how law enforcement in this country has always been an enemy of Black people.”

Family perspective

Kaepernick's parents adopted him as a child but struggled to understand his racial experiences.

“I had to navigate the realities that you face when you are Black in predominantly white spaces.”

Future plans

Kaepernick remains committed to racial justice and community advocacy despite his NFL exile.

“We can be phenomenal at our profession. We also can advocate for our community and a better society.”

The protest's impact

Kaepernick's protest inspired athletes globally to speak out on racial justice and police reform.

“We're seeing it to this day throughout Europe. People saying, 'Oh, this actually opened the door for me to be able to do the work in a way I previously wasn't able to.'”

NFL's racial policies

The NFL has faced criticism for racial bias, including past efforts to deny medical benefits to Black players.

“The NFL just went through navigating race-norming, where they were assessing that the baseline intelligence or cognitive abilities of Black players was lower than white players.”

Community focus

Kaepernick emphasizes investing in communities over policing to address systemic racism.

“When you invest in communities, they get safer. People do better. Crime rates drop.”

Jay-Z's role

Jay-Z's partnership with the NFL in 2019 and his recent lyric highlight tensions over protest support.

“The fact that seven years after him cutting a deal to undermine the protest, unprompted, he brings me up, sounds like a guilty conscience to me.”

The future

Kaepernick aims to continue advocating for racial justice while navigating his family and career.

“My daughter found it, and she grabbed it and was like, 'Oh, this is going to my room.'”