colin kaepernick impact on society
"This will lead to better things, open people's eyes. That's why the "blackout" protest is so courageous. Were talking dozens of communities that felt the effect of Kaepernicks taking that knee, that felt the effect of the Black Lives Matter movement, that felt the effect of the He risked getting fired, which was a big thing. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO, Sept. 27, 2018 Kaepernick congratulates Reid on being signed by the Panthers. I dont know, Im Catholic we spend a lot of time kneeling.. "Please officer don't tell me you just did this to him. "It has always been my understanding that the brave men and women who fought and died for our country did so to ensure that we could live in a fair and free society, which includes the right to speak out in protest. Dr Reginald Stewart spent 19 years at the University of Nevada, and knew Kaepernick during his time there. "As a result of those discussions, the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances. In conversation, the 10-year-old Jaden explains why he is there. Specifically, Black athletes, male and female, have been prominently recognized figures in the fight for social justice, dating back as early as the experiences of Paul Robeson during the 1920s.1 He, followed by a long list of others, used the platform of sports to fight against racism, inequality, and discrimination. "The media painted this as I'm anti-American, anti-men and women of the military, and that's not the case at all," he says. Sept. 26, 2017 Cowboys owner Jerry Jones locks arms and kneels with players before the playing of the national anthem on a Monday night in Arizona. In March, he opted out of his contractexternal-link with the 49ers. ", Feb. 15, 2019 Kaepernick and Reid reachsettlements in their collusion grievances against the NFL. Every day somebody black getting killed for little stuff. A video accompanies Colin Kaepernick's Instagram post. May 30, 2020 The NFL releases a statement on the death of Floyd and the ensuing global protests, and the league winds up with heavy doses of Kaepernick in its mentions, with many of the reactions in the vein of, "You could have led the fight against police brutality and racial injustice four years ago, but instead you worked against peaceful protesters like Kaepernick." Kneeling, Fiercely Debated in the N.F.L., Resonates in Protests, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/sports/football/george-floyd-kaepernick-kneeling-nfl-protests.html. BLACK HISTORY BULLETIN VOL. Kaepernick was given the keys to the Niners' offense and he failed. Boyer said he would never do such a thing during the anthem. This is an instance where the enhanced coverage is positive. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others in a civil rights protest in 1965. the leagues commissioner, Roger Goodell, apologized to his players, shows a 2017 photo of the Saints quarterback. We know where he is, who he is and we had a chance to understand him much more so. ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 18: Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the [+] sidelines during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on December 18, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. It hearkens back to images of civil rights leaders from the 1960s and 1970s. Philando Castile, 32, is shot seven times during a traffic stop. He and the players then stand for the actual anthem. March 15, 2018 Another free agency period opens and plays out without Kaepernick receiving an offer to sign with a team. We want people to stand. "A lot of people are doing it now. In August 2016, instead of standing for the national anthem, Kaepernick, citing police shootings, chose to kneel in silent protest of a system that, as he put it, oppresses black people and people of color.. His protest also didn't begin as his productivity was headed on a downward spiral. Kaepernickalso objected to the non-standard injury waiver the league wanted him to sign. "Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are" -Ben Franklin pic.twitter.com/MSRtHDVRBe, Justin Britt (@JustinBritt68) August 19, 2017, Last night, players from the Cleveland Browns took part in the largest NFL national anthem protest yet. [1] Background In this chapter, we discuss the U.S. National Anthem Protest, also known as #TakeAKnee, that took place mainly from 2016-2017. After posting a 7-4 win-loss record and leading the Broncos to the playoffs in 2012, the Broncos traded Tebow to the New York Jets where he was converted into an H-Back who was allowed to throw just eight passes. Had it been, Jaden would not have found his favourite player. He did what a lot of other athletes wouldnt have done, said Dorien Harris, a black, 19-year-old marcher who wore a face mask inscribed with the words I Cant Breathe as he knelt. What will I do then? ", Sept. 7, 2016 NFL commissioner Roger Goodellbreaks his silence and issues his first public comments on Kaepernick's protests. 2. I've been mistreated in stores and stormed out vowing to never shop there again, and with every intention of writing or calling the corporate offices to complain. And on Tuesday, reports suggested NFL owners, at a league meeting next week, are planning to introduce rules to force players to stand.external-link. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh confirms the team has been in contact with Kaepernick. He lost his starting job, and then as a backup, he began his protest. Previous reports had indicated the 49ers planned to release Kaepernick had henot opted out. While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don't think it's too much to ask NFL players to respect the Flag and our National Anthem.". But it is his first protest in team kit. Oct. 11, 2016 Kelly announces Kaepernick will make his season debut as the 1-4 49ers' starter in Week 6 against the Bills. 1 | 15 84 No.1 THE COLIN KAEPERNICK EFFECT ON CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL ACTIVISM IN SPORTS By Terrence T. Allen & Shanese Williams For years, the need for social justice has motivated people from all walks of life to come together for the pursuit of social change. It needs that strength. In August, Loggins wrote an article for The Athleticexternal-link about their relationship. That was a bad move and it hurt the credibility of his protest in my eyes. since Jan. 1, 2017, his career cut short when no team would sign him following a season of player protest he led with the help of a teammate, Eric Reid. Anyone can read what you share. He was saying to stand up for what you believe in, no matter your position.. ", Aug. 27, 2016 The 49ers and the NFL issue statements on Kaepernick's protestthe night before. March 1, 2017 Kaepernick's agents tell NFL teams he will opt out of his contract with the 49ers. On the same night, at another match, Jeremy Lane of the Seattle Seahawks remains seated for the anthem. We need even more people doing what we doing. Many applauded Breess contrition but on Friday, Trump tweeted that Brees should not have shifted his stance, saying in all caps that there should be NO KNEELING!" Hours later, the leagues commissioner, Roger Goodell, apologized to his players for not listening to the concerns of African-American players earlier. April 18, 2018 With Kaepernickpresent,his attorneys depose Goodell at the NFL's headquarters. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, when asked on Wednesday about kneeling during the anthem, told an interviewer, I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country. (Brees did kneel on the sideline with teammates before a game in 2017 as an act of solidarity opposing Trumps criticism of players, but he rose when the anthem was played.). As he waited for his conviction to be overturned, his popularity grew and his place in history was cemented.6 In 1959, at the Pan American games in Chicago, Illinois, the practice of protesting during the national anthem was started by an African American woman. However, he was given even less of a chance to prove he could continue his success. No matter where I go in the United Statesonce people find out I'm a sportswriterone of the first questions I'm asked is: "what do you think of the Kaepernick thing?" The same officer moves one hand away, reaching for his gun. President @realDonaldTrump: You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there, maybe you shouldn't be in the country." So we're standing up.". Posted August 28, 2016. He is said to have shouted: "How many did I get? The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can't kneel during our National Anthem!". "Meanwhile, there has been no change in the NFLs policy regarding the national anthem. Aug. 8, 2019 Kaepernicksends message to NFL teams when he tweets an intense workout video. This was his answer: pic.twitter.com/0ATDqYUehC, Sept. 3, 2016 First-year 49ers coach Chip Kelly gives Blaine Gabbert the starting QB job over Kaepernick, who is still recovering a pair ofoffseason surgeries (thumb, knee) on top of the shoulder surgery that ended his 2015 season. Up to the socially turbulent year of 2020 and beyond, history has seen great moments, courageous acts, and valiant activism from Black athletes, including Muhammad Ali, Olympian Earlene Brown, Bill Russell, Eroseanna Robinson in her 1959 anthem protest, John Carlos and Tommie Smith,2 Wilma Rudolph, LeBron James, Wyomia Tyus, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Wyoming 14 football team,3 and many athletes in between. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images). Boyer also remembered taking a knee at Arlington National Cemetery, in reverence of fallen friends. I still want to shop at their store, but I need to be respected first. That's a good and bad thing at times. March 18, 2017 The signings of lesser QBs in NFL free agency contribute to the suspicion that Kaepernick is being blackballed by NFL teams. They were replicating the gesture of Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who, starting in 2016, had been kneeling during the pre-game singing of the "Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother's grave, you know, to show respect. Why Havent Kansas City, Kansas, Police Done More About A Long List Of Slain Black Women? After being stripped of his title and suspended by athletic commissions across the country, he did not enter the ring for nearly three years. June 5, 2020 Goodell offers another statement, this time via video, after the NFL is called out by a group of star players requesting a more sincere response. 5 days a week. Kaepernick remains unsigned, despite his on-field performances, and last year filed a grievance with the NFL alleging that owners colluded to keep him unemployed. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images). They used this moment in history to bring attention to the human condition of African Americans. We have the right to fight back! Although the coat of arms of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., a Greek-letter fraternity of which Kaepernick is a member, appears on the official flyer for the event, the organization is not a partner. He remains a polarizing civil rights activist to this day even though he is no longer granted the platform of NFL quarterback. This is not the venue for the protest. While The Kaepernick Effect does not include it, the athletes presented a six-point program to address injustice: 1. Nov. 8, 2016 Kaepernick chooses not to vote in the 2016 presidential election. "People that trace our connection to UC Berkeley assume he became politicised in my class. In May 2022, hours after 19 children were murdered at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, Republican Gov. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images), dugout during the Arizona Fall League game against the Peoria Javelinas at Peoria Stadium on October 13, 2016 in Peoria, Arizona. "I told him if they knelt I would be next to them with my hand on my heart, because I support your right to peacefully protest in this country. "You know, you are talking about a major sport, maybe the major sport, and when you see that and it leads to a lot of other things," Trump says. ", "The message was never about the anthem, the message is about police brutality against African-Americans and that seems to have been lost. Kneeling is both an act of defiance and resistance, but also of reverence, of mourning, but also honoring lives lost, said Chad Williams, the chairman of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies at Brandeis University. "It's not like I turned on the TV and was like: 'Wow, where did this come from?' That's amazingly successful," he adds. Please. "He's exercising his constitutional right to make a statement," Obamasaysat a news conference during the G20 summit in China. Time is one of the reasons we're captivated. He knows what the community needs. Still Ready. 5am. "I know that were going to upset some people, and I know that were going to make people happy that we stood up for somebody that has the right to do what he did, Bisciottisays. A week later, Kaepernick protests again. I think if hes good enough, I know the owners I know (Patriots owner Robert) Kraft, I know so many of the owners if hes good enough, theyd sign him. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images). Some understood and applauded Kaepernick's efforts. He is now 29 years old and a free agent. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem. He has been donating money to various charities and projects across the United States - he has pledged to donate $1m external-link (750,000) in total - and has helped set up an educational campaign called Know Your Rights.external-link. It took more courage to bend his position a little bit," Boyer adds. Its simplicity gave it symbolic power, and as we see now, its power persists.. The singer pauses, hanging between verses. Back then, he was 29 years old. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas Citys creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. If youre not going to stand, Boyer told Kaepernick and Reid, as they sat in a hotel lobby hours before the 49ers final preseason game, against the San Diego Chargers. Read about our approach to external linking. Taking a knee might be a simple gesture, but the fraught, contentious opinions about it are a mirror into the complexity of race in America. Just days after Kaepernick's decision, high schooler Rodney Axson Jr. opted to kneel during his football game in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. I will boo them. In 2016, Jordan said that he can no longer stay silent in a rare, public statement reacting to shootings of Black Americans and the targeting of police officers, But players find themselves having to explain what their actions mean. Forged from a partnership between a university press and a library, Project MUSE is a trusted part of the academic and scholarly community it serves. Robinson justified her protest by criticizing the United States for establishing a false pretense that Americans were treated equally by having athletes of different skin colors compete alongside each other.7 16 | BLACK HISTORY BULLETIN VOL. ", Yanez: "OK, OK. Don't reach for it then. On Friday night, 17-year-old Kortney Ware was among the Glades Central Raiders lining up to face a team from Lake Worth, down on the coast. Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. "These players here will want them to continue to speak out and be heard, because that's the only way change can happen.". Email me at. Let's just keep moving forward. "He always says make America great again," Kaepernick says of the presidential candidate. ", In 2016, @Kaepernick7 was asked if he or his protests could be seen as un-American. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images), sidelines during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on December 18, 2016, in Atlanta, Georgia. That is what I fought for.". June 5, 2017 The Seahawks, a team that was interested in signing Kaepernick, instead add Austin Davis to the roster. WebBy using Colin Kaepernick as a main figure to promote social activism in the area of racism and police brutality, the organization was able to make national headlines and promote their This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless. We have a lot of people that are oppressed. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images), Luigis Mansion 3 Review: The Joy Of Sucking, WWE 2K20 Review: The Good, The Bad, The Bottom Line, NASCAR Heat 4 Review: The Good, The Bad And The Bottom Line, Dragon Quest XI S Switch Review: Still One Of The Best Role-Playing Games Ever Made, Doug Flutie Maximum Football 2019 Review: The Good, The Bad And The Bottom Line, FIFA 20 Review: The Good, The Bad And The Bottom Line, Daemon X Machina Review: Ignore The Casuals, This Is A Proper Mecha Game, Zelda: Links Awakening Review: An Amazing Remake Of The Best Zelda Game Ever Made, offensive socks during training camp portraying police officers as pigs, a widespread disapproval of its commissioner Roger Goodell. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. What he's doing is absolutely and directly in line with how he's always communicated. Sept. 3, 2018 Nike uses Kaepernick as the face of an ad campaign. Sept. 22, 2016 Time Magazine puts Kaepernick on the cover of its Oct. 5 issue. He has not spoken to the media for months. "For him, when he saw Colin Kaepernick take a knee," says Zirin, "it immediately clicked with him that this was something he could do to show people he was upset. 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. 'Her soil is her fortune.'. He knew that discomfort was essential to liberation and that fighting the oppression against Black people is bigger than sports. Kaepernick, now a 32-year-old free agent quarterback who hasn't played in the NFL since the last week of the 2016 season, ended up spending six years with the 49ers before his peaceful protest led to his apparently getting blackballed by the league's team owners. "Both are proven liars, and it almost seems like they're trying to debate who's less racist. As a football decision, signing Kaepernick today is a tougher call for teams than it should have been back in 2017. "I have a lot of confidence in what he can do with us offensively. Sandwiched between two giant soft-drink barrels, he sits alone as thousands roar and whoop in appreciation. ", The tattoo across his chest reads: "Against all odds.". It's amazing to think that when Kaepernick originally kneeled during the National Anthem in September 2016, he was doing it to protest the unfair treatment of minorities by law enforcement in the United States. Colin Kaepernick kneeling timeline: How protests during the national anthem started a movement in the NFL, sits on the bench during the national anthem, changing his method of protest from sitting to kneeling, gives Blaine Gabbert the starting QB job over Kaepernick, players from numerous teams protest en masse, Trump says Goodell should have suspended Kaepernick, Jerry Jones locks arms and kneels with players, agrievance under the CBA for collusion against NFL owners, a new rule against kneeling during the national anthem, Trump claimshe would "love to see" theQB back, Rihanna confirms she turned down a chance, defendsprotests afterGeorge Floyd's death, heavy doses of Kaepernick in its mentions. The league agreed to donate millions of dollars to community groups and causes chosen by players. Which is why Kaepernick's name was immediately referenced when the NFL recently released what was digested as an empty statement on George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Marshall and Kelley also bought Jaden a game - but it wasn't Madden, the official NFL computer game. ", Eric Reid, who first kneeled with Kaepernick a year before, writes in the. History of Social Justice in Contemporary Sports Historically, African American athletes have used their celebrity status as a platform to express their discontent with the treatment of African American citizens. Author Dave Zirin believes Kaepernick's "great gift" to the current political period is that "he offered up a language and a method of protest that others could replicate.". Boyer said he did some research and came across a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. kneeling in prayer and protest in Selma, Ala., during the 1960s. A day later, Trump praises the league's new anthem stance. He says players who refuse to stand for the national anthem are "sons of bitches" who should be fired by their teams. That's something that needs to be addressed. 15 Mar 1996: Point guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of the Denver Nuggets stands in prayer during the [+] singing of the National Anthem before the Nuggets game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. pic.twitter.com/tOBHp8XVnf. Everybody speak up. Because of his ongoing free agency, this has become a different story. ", Sept. 26, 2017 As protests during the national anthem continue at NFL games, President Trump says Goodell should have suspended Kaepernick, who remains unsigned. I think there are a lot of ways you can do it when it comes to the flag and national anthem. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder. Over the weekend of 24-25 September, never before had the protest of refusing to stand during the national anthem attracted such attention. "I will be proud of it until the day I die," he told BBC Sport. The microphone on Yanez's uniform picks up this exchange: Yanez: "You have a licence and insurance? I don't come out to the football games to see political views. "Here I am, taking leadership cues from Ella Baker, and next thing I know I am in the inner circle of a passionate, intelligent and conscious NFL star with a tremendous heart and a righteous indignation over the treatment of the oppressed. It's tough for us black people. "There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.". Travis Kelce of Kansas City Chiefs became the most prominent white player to kneel. "For what? Who gains from that? He told USA Today:external-link "He is very, very smart and very intellectual. "Congratulations to my brother, an All-Pro safety who should have been signed the first day of free agency, who has signed a football contract," Kaepernick writes on Instagram. He leads them to the Super Bowl two years later, but they lose to the Baltimore Ravens. ", "OK, OK. Don't reach for it then. Bleacher Report publishes a story on how NFLfront-office types still want nothing to do with him afterhis protests during the national anthem. In Portland, Ore., police in riot gear knelt before cheering demonstrators, some of whom responded by walking toward the officers to shake their hands. Since then, a whole movement has grown around that gesture. The union also represents players involved in the The makeup of Kaepernick's issue meshes seamlessly with the country's current dysfunction. And its complexity carries on. The reaction to his words could not be more divided. Across the nation these last hard, uncertain days, demonstrators have turned to the gesture on city streets. You may opt-out by. Id say your only other option is to take a knee.. 'People realise NFL hasn't listened'. The truth is, the NFL may well shake off this "blackout" protest as they have others in the past, but it's still important for these gentlemen and every like-minded person to stick to their guns. Aug. 30, 2018 The NFL's request for a summary judgment dismissing Kaepernick's grievance is rejected by an independent arbitrator, allowing the case to move forward to trial. Boyer, who was there when Kaepernick 'took a knee' for the first time, has not spoken to him for a while either - not since the Super Bowl, in February. The example that their protest could set is immeasurable. He continues to read widely - about the civil rights movement and post-colonial theory, Malcom X's autobiography and Franz Fanon's The Wretched Of The Earth. ", Thanks for the invite brother Good talk. There are reports that team owners, It is a small agricultural town, inland from the opulent coastal resort of Palm Beach, where Donald Trump's, Some schools in the United States have vowed to, And on Tuesday, reports suggested NFL owners, at a league meeting next week, are planning to introduce rules to. Through it all, America is always ready for some football. There are reports that team owners are refusing to sign himexternal-link - despite coaches wanting to. First, he had to reach the college game. There is power in the pictures of Kaepernick kneeling with his afro on full display. Prior to the renegotiation, Kaepernick protects himself with a$7.5 million loss-of-value insurance policy. They are pledging to donate their time on Sundays to the uplifting and betterment of youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods rather than patronize an organization they feel is blackballing a man for exercising his right to freedom of speech and expression. Non-violent protesting is something that we have all embraced. "Well America has never been great for people of color. One of those is Nate Boyer. "I liked how he wasn't afraid to show what he thought. The union has defended Kaepernick, fought for him in the collusion case and, in theory, is behind what he's all about. "Five a.m. Five days a week. But off the pitch, he is busy. See if they are going to be making $20 million being a second-string quarterback.". It helped me understand, he said. He says that "there was never any falling out as such", but he does worry about him "being pulled so far in one direction that there is never going to be any room to grow and really move forward". Almost four years after he began protesting racial injustice and police brutality in America by sitting and then kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games, Colin Kaepernick remains out of a job. Kaepernick receives word of the workout in Atlanta just a few days ahead of time, but he expresses his excitement "to see the head coaches and GMs" who might attend. While some demonstrators say they have had Kaepernick and his campaign in mind when kneeling, the gesture is also intended or not an echo to the manner of Floyds death. Smith wore a black scarf around his neck to represent Black pride; Carloss jacket remained unzipped to show Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. This is what America should be all about pic.twitter.com/LgjPpjk173. "It is going to take swallowing of pride and humility, but I would rather see him move into this realm than play again, because he has been quiet for a long time. Colin straight up asked me what I thought he should do, said Boyer, speaking recently over the phone from Oregon. ", From the league:"Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the national anthem.". The Economic Impact of Colin Kaepernick. We are all familiar with the story by now: on September 1, 2016, Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers at the time, took a knee during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice in the United States. So I have the utmost respect for them. When they received their medals, they did not wear shoes and only wore black socks, to represent poverty. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. Stop running from the people. Micah Johnson, 25, is himself killed following a stand-off with police, who sent remotely detonated explosives into the car park where he had taken refuge. As athletes on the sports field kneel when another player is injured, athletes, as activists, have taken a knee, literally and figuratively, to bring attention to injured and beleaguered communities. We want people to be respectful to the national anthem, Goodell says. He has been donating money to various charities and projects across the United States - he has pledged to, (750,000) in total - and has helped set up an educational campaign called, He is not injured, and should still be capable of performing at the highest level. I wouldn't even do that, but he did, and I really like him for standing out. After the shots were fired, Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds took out her mobile phone and livestreamed from inside the car as the officer screamed for her not to move. PEORIA, AZ - OCTOBER 13: Tim Tebow #15 (New York Mets) of the Scottsdale Scorpions warms up in the [+] dugout during the Arizona Fall League game against the Peoria Javelinas at Peoria Stadium on October 13, 2016 in Peoria, Arizona. At the game that evening, he stood next to Kaepernick as he knelt, and felt the sting of an angry, booing crowd rain onto the field. As high-profile as Kaepernick's protest was in the media, it didn't cost law enforcement, state or city governments any money directly. WebColin Kaepernick, a player in the National Football League (NFL), created a national debate when refusing to stand during the national anthem throughout the 2016 season. Scores of athletes, managers and coaches - across several sports - performed some kind of protest or gesture of solidarity while the national anthem played before their games. When we're on a patrol, you know, and we go into a security halt, we take a knee, and we pull security. "Another murder in the streets because of the colour of a man's skin, at the hands of the people who they say will protect us," Kaepernick writes. They would do anything they can to win games. Colin Kaepernick, right, and Eric Reid kneeling during the national anthem before an N.F.L. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images). "Hopefully it creates talk and creates change. "It's disingenuous," Reid says. Mandatory Credit: BRIAN BAHR/ALLSPORT. The filing states that NFL team owners "have colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick's leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice and his bringing awareness to peculiar institutions still undermining racial equality in the United States.