Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand for the national anthem has started to spread through the sporting world and beyond.
Two high-profile rappers, J. Cole and Trey Songz, performed Labor Day shows wearing Kaepernick’s jersey, which has seen a spike in sales since his decision to sit during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Kaepernick has also received support from Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane, who sat during the national anthem at the Seahawks’ preseason finale and says he will continue to do so. The Seahawks and 49ers are fierce divisional rivals.
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe joined in on the protest, kneeling during the national anthem during a game between her Seattle Reign and the Chicago Red. She attributed her decision to both showing her support for Kaepernick and the plight of the LGBT community (Rapinoe is openly gay).
“Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties,” she said after the game. “It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it.”
The San Francisco 49ers’ backup quarterbacks made waves a few weeks ago when he sat during the national anthem at one his team’s preseason games. He later said he did so to draw attention to racial unrest and police brutality in the U.S.
This move generated heavy debate about both his method of protest and the sentiment behind it. Everyone from President Obama to John Legend has commented on the issue.
With the 2016 NFL season set to kick off this Thursday, more players are sure to exercise their right to sit during the national anthem, which plays at the beginning of every NFL game.
