Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick protests anthem over treatment of minorities\n\nThe San Francisco 49ers acknowledge Colin Kaepernick opting not to stand for the national anthem and say it is within Kaepernick\u2019s rights to choose to participate\n\n\ufffc\n\nBY\xa0ESPN.COM NEWS SERVICES\n\nAugust 27, 2016\n\nSan Francisco 49ers\xa0quarterback\xa0Colin Kaepernick\xa0says he refused to stand during the national anthem Friday because of his views on the country\u2019s treatment of racial minorities.\n\n\u201cI am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,\u201d Kaepernick\xa0told NFL Mediaafter Friday\u2019s game. \u201cTo 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.\u201d\nThe 49ers acknowledged in a statement that Kaepernick sat on the team\u2019s bench during the national anthem before their game against the\xa0Green Bay Packers.\n\nTHE COLIN KAEPERNICK SAGA\n\nHarry Edwards: Let Kaepernick get back to work\n\nColin Kaepernick\u2019s hair is not our business. Michael Vick telling him to cut it is a problem\n\nLocker Room Talk: Colin Kaepernick chose independence in hopes that the truth would set us free\n\nKaepernick is asking for justice, not peace\n\nTaking a stand by sitting down: Kaepernick, Abdul-Rauf and the national anthem\n\nDoes Colin Kaepernick have any legal recourse against the NFL?\n\n\u201cThe national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pregame ceremony,\u201d the statement said. \u201cIt is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.\u201d\nKaepernick told NFL Media that he did not tell the team he was planning to protest the national anthem.\n\u201cThis is not something that I am going to run by anybody,\u201d he said. \u201cI am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. \u2026 If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.\u201d\nKaepernick also refused to stand for the national anthem during the other preseason games, but he wasn\u2019t dressed for those contests because of tightness in his right shoulder.\nThe NFL said in a statement Saturday that \u201cplayers are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the national anthem.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.\u201d \u2013 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, on his decision to sit during the national anthem\n\nPro Football Talk initially reported that Kaepernick did not stand during the anthem. He was not asked about his decision during his postgame news conference, which was held before the Pro Football Talk report.\nKaepernick, who is biracial, was adopted and raised by white parents. He has been outspoken on his Twitter account on civil rights issues and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.\nNumerous high-profile athletes have spoken out about civil rights issues in the wake of gun violence throughout the United States. In July,\xa0Dwyane Wade,\xa0LeBron James,\xa0Carmelo Anthony\xa0and\xa0Chris Paul\xa0opened the ESPYS with a call for social change and an end to violence, and WNBA players wore warm-up shirts to show solidarity after shootings in Minnesota and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.\nWade\u2019s cousin, Nykea Aldridge, was\xa0killed by gunfire\xa0in Chicago on Friday, a day after Wade participated in a series of panel discussions on gun violence hosted by The Undefeated on ESPN.\nKaepernick told NFL Media that he had thought about going public with his feelings for a while but that \u201cI felt that I needed to understand the situation better.\u201d\nKaepernick joins team sports athletes including Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf an