Nearly four years ago Colin Kaepernick began sitting and later kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games.
“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 said in 2016. “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.”
Kaepernick’s protest rocked the league. The country too. Kneeling became a regular issue for then-candidate Donald Trump to use on the presidential campaign trail.