# Ten years after the knee, Kaepernick keeps fighting

> A decade after Colin Kaepernick knelt during the anthem, he sits down with Fresh Air to talk about the fight he is still in.
- Title: Ten years after the knee, Kaepernick keeps fighting · NPR
- Summary: A decade after Colin Kaepernick knelt during the anthem, he sits down with Fresh Air to talk about the fight he is still in. The protest was a moment, but…
- Keywords: colin kaepernick, protest, race, football, npr, news, Ten, years, knee, Kaepernick, keeps, fighting
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/09/14/nx-s1-5965828/colin-kaepernick-football-the-perilous-fight
- Published: 2026-09-14T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: colin kaepernick, protest, race, football, npr, news
## A decade since the knee
September 2026 marks ten years since Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem. NPR marks the anniversary by asking where he is now.
## Still in the fight
The headline is the point: he has not moved on. Ten years later Kaepernick is described as still waging what he calls a 'Perilous Fight'.

> Colin Kaepernick is still waging a 'Perilous Fight'
## Borrowed from the anthem
That phrase comes straight out of the Star-Spangled Banner, the same song he knelt through. He took the country's own words and turned them back on it.
## Filed under Race
NPR runs this on its Race desk, not sports. The kneeling was never really a football story, and the coverage reflects that.
## Tonya Mosley asks
The conversation airs on Fresh Air with Tonya Mosley, running 44 minutes. Long enough for the full arc rather than a soundbite.
## Hear it yourself
The full interview streams on NPR and through the usual podcast feeds: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music and iHeart. Worth the 44 minutes.
## Key takeaway

The protest was a moment, but Kaepernick has spent ten years turning it into ongoing work, and he is still at it.