Colin Kaepernick is defending his decision not to stand for the national anthem before the 49ers preseason game Friday night.
"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 told NFL Media after the 49ers loss to the Packers. "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."
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The 49ers quarterback's decision not to stand for the anthem went unnoticed at the time. It did not come up in the open portion of the post-game media session. But ProFootballTalk.com broke the story about 90 minutes after the game. Since then, photos have surfaced showing him sitting on the bench while his teammates stood at attention.
Zoom-in of @jenniferleechan photo during national anthem that shows Colin Kaepernick sitting on the bench. #49ers pic.twitter.com/c6F10yIIRE
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 27, 2016
The 49ers issued a statement Friday night defending Kaepernick's action.
"The National Anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony," the statement reads. "It 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 and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem."
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Kaepernick has been extremely outspoken on issues of racial justice in the United States, actively tweeting and retweeting race-related stories. He told NFL Media he knows his decision not to stand for the anthem is controversial, but he felt he had to speak up. He said the 49ers were not aware of his decision beforehand.
"This is not something that I am going to run by anybody," he said. "I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. ... If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right."