Four years ago on Wednesday, Colin Kaepernick sat during the national anthem as the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback in a protest of social injustice and police brutality. He would later kneel, and other players followed, drawing the ire of many people, including NFL team owners. The players’ peaceful protests caused the NFL to briefly — and foolhardily — institute a short-lived anthem policy in the summer of 2018.
Eventually, the majority of players stopped kneeling, and football continued.
Things dramatically changed after the George Floyd killing in late May. Black players, standing up for a community that is tired of watching the same thing happen repeatedly, banded together in a unified voice behind the causes.