Colin Kaepernick may not be on a National Football League roster, but a jersey commemorating his decision to kneel before the National Anthem sold out in less than a minute on Thursday.
Nike released the $150 monochromatic Icon Jersey 2.0 to excited consumers who bought the company’s entire stock in under one minute, according to a representative with the shoemaker.
“Four years ago, Colin Kaepernick first took a knee to peacefully protest against systemic racism and social injustice,” the company said in a statement released to its website. “In the years since, he’s used his platform as an athlete to help advance the liberation and well-being of Black & Brown communities.”
Although Kaepernick has been unable to regain employment with an NFL team, his influence stretches far beyond the gridiron. At a time when sporting leagues are struggling to recapture the ratings they had before the coronavirus, Kaepernick’s star turn as a social justice activist continues to rise.
Kaepernick has criticized what he views as performative measures taken by the league to support social justice movements in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Posting to his Instagram on Thursday, Kaepernick said his jersey number had come to represent more than just football.
“I took a knee to protest against systemic racism and social injustice. It was that day that the number on my jersey would come to represent something greater than football, something greater than me,” Kaepernick said. “Since then, the number 7 jersey has become a symbol for advancing the liberation and well-being of Black & Brown communities. Thank you for staying True.”
