In August 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was seen sitting during the national anthem before a preseason game.
In a press conference following the game, Kaepernick defended his decision to sit, saying, "I'm not going to stand up to show pride in a flag that oppresses black people and people of color." After receiving criticism for sitting (the act was seen as disrespectful toward the military), Kaepernick subsequently made the switch to kneeling (Witz). Despite the controversial act, other teams and players joined Kaepernick in protesting the national anthem, such as his former teammate Eric Reid. The NFL protests proved to be unpopular amongst the American public. In a poll conducted by J.D. power, 26 percent of NFL viewers cited protests as the reason why they stopped tuning into games (Skiver). In March 2017, Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers for the free agency market--he did not receive a job offer from another team.
So, that's the end of it, right? Not quite...
At a political rally in Alabama in 2017, President Donald Trump spoke against the protests, saying, "Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag to say: ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s FIRED!” The internet reacted accordingly. On September 24, 2017, #TakeAKnee (and #TakeTheKnee) appeared on social media more than four million times. Following the president's statements, many NFL officials, players, and fans voiced support for Kaepernick's actions, issuing statements and engaging in peaceful protests.