KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Colin Kaepernick started his protest during the national anthem to call attention to what he calls oppression of black people and people of color in the United States.
An entire year later, it's still going strong even though he's not in the league.
This is nothing new for our country.
"Jackie Robinson is one of America's greatest heroes, but he shared a similar viewpoint as Colin did," Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum said. "You go back and look at Jackie's purview later after he breaks the color barrier, after he's no longer silenced. He talks about not standing for the flag."
In 1968, two Olympic athletes took the podium in a protest themselves. "Tommie Davis and John Carlos standing on a platform in Mexico City and a simple black glove and a raised fist had them ostracized," Kendrick shared.
There's a long history of athletes using their platform to call attention to social issues in America. Muhammed Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War. Kendrick says Buck O'Neil had his challenges after serving in WWII because, "When he got back home, the POWs were treated better than he was. He was relegated to the back of the bus. The POWs were in the front of the bus and he had just fought for that same flag."
To many people though, the national anthem and the flag are sacred. Kris Kobach, who's running for Kansas governor, said in a statement, "There are better ways to protest than by taking a knee during a time universally reserved for solemn respect."
Kendrick remembered the anthem protest in 1968 and that, "Over time, people started to look at that stance and realize that that stance was as American as anything because that's what America allows us to do. It allows us to voice our opinions whether we agree with one another or not."
Editor's note: This version of the story states that Colin Kaepernick is protesting during the national anthem.
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