During 2016 NFL’s Preseason Colin Kaepernick, at the time a QB for the San Francisco 49ers, decided to stay seated during the National Anthem as a way to protest against the racial injustice, police brutality, and systemic inequality that African Americans suffered. On September 1st 2016, still in preseason, Kaepernick decided to kneel (instead of sitting) as a more respectful form of protest, gaining a lot more vsibility. His action led to both impacts on sport and society. Sparked similar protests across the NFL and other leagues, like the NBA, and it forced leagues and teams to address athlete activism and free speech. Beyond the field Kaepernick’s action led to increased visibility of movements like Black Lives Matter, and became a national debate about race, patriotism, and protest.
Media outlets like ESPN often framed it as athlete activism and free speech, while outlets like Fox News framed it as disrespect to the flag, and authorities, sparking a shift from the media coverage away from his message to the controversy surrounding the patriotism debate. In social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook amplified the protest globally , with the use of hashtags like #TakeAKnee that connected the protest to broader social justice conversations, allowing athletes, fans, and activists to directly engage.
Kaepernick tried to play a role in shaping the narrative. He publicly explained his protest focused on racial injustice and was not directed to any specific organization like military or the police. He donated to communities to reinforce his message, as he attempted to keep the focus on social issues. But he faced limitations like the media outlets and political figures that reshaped the narrative. Donald Trump reframed it as unpatriotic saying Kaepernick and the protesters “should try another country”. Even though the kneel created a highly divided public response, it also brought massive attention to racial inequality and made athlete activism more visible and normalized.
