Through all his exploits on and off the field, Derek Jeter remained indifferent when it came to joining a conversation on social issues during his playing career.
Now retired, the former Yankees great has devoted much of his time to helping athletes hone their voice, and if they want to use it speak out for change, like 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has done on a grand scale this NFL season, he sees no problem with it.
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"If you have the platform to speak up and you choose to do so, then that is your prerogative," Jeter said of Kaepernick's national anthem protests when asked Wednesday at the 20th anniversary celebration for his Turn 2 Foundation, via the New York Post.
Kaepernick became the controversial face of a movement against racial injustices and police brutality when he began kneeling for "The Star-Spangled Banner" nearly three months ago. It's gotten the attention of Jeter, whose website, The Players' Tribune, has hosted several personal essays penned by athletes taking up their own causes.
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Retired since 2014, Jeter is most heard from in his post-playing days attending functions and workshops for his charity, which works to steer at-risk youths away from drug and alcohol addiction. He said, for them, there's a lesson to be learned from a message such as Kaepernick's.
"When you have this platform, you should try to impact people’s lives in a positive way," Jeter said, "and that is what we are teaching these kids in our leadership program — your voice is powerful."
