Colin Kaepernick continued his protest of the National Anthem — and more players joined in

We’ve already expressed our support for Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who refused to stand for the national anthem, thus ~daring~ to challenge the U.S. on its politics and being called un-American, despite protest arguably being one of the most American things of all. Isn’t critique almost always based in love, and hope that something can be better? Recently, though, even more players have joined in, and our hearts are warm and fuzzy.

The protest is spreading across the NFL.

According to People, teammate Eric Reid also dropped to a knee. On the same night, Jeremy Lane, the cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, also didn’t stand during the anthem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-loJyy1YU6g

It’s actually a really sweet show of solidarity, and it’s the subtle form of protest that many have been asking for since they started criticizing Black Lives Matter and similar movements in the first place. Like, you got what you’re asking for, right? So…

The protest isn’t fading because Kaepernick believes in what he’s fighting for.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said earlier this week. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

This isn’t the type of movement that’s forgotten overnight. He’s using his platform in a truly incredible way, and clearly inspiring his teammates and other players across the country. It’s pretty awesome.

He even wore controversial socks, a somewhat subtle reminder of his thoughts.

While they might seem like too much for some people, you have to remember the context. He’s not protesting, like, an ice cream flavor, or something else silly that has no impact on anyone. He’s talking police brutality, and the continual oppression of people of color and black people in the U.S. In comparison, a pair of socks does *such* minimal damage that it’s hard to judge his decision to wear them without apology.