Megan Rapinoe Took A Knee During National Anthem To Support Colin Kaepernick
Megan Rapinoe just let the world know she stands with Colin Kaepernick by taking a knee.
She did so during the national anthem before her team, Seattle Reign, played the Chicago Red Stars in an NWSL game.
After the match, the World Cup champion told John D. Halloran of American Soccer Now that she decided to do this as a "nod to Kaepernik."
Offering some powerful and insightful reflections on the state of the US, Rapinoe said,
It was very intentional. It was a little nod to Kaepernick and everything that he's standing for right now. I think it's actually pretty disgusting the way he was treated and the way that a lot of the media has covered it and made it about something that it absolutely isn't. We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country. Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties. 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. It's important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this. We don't need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that's really powerful.
Shaun King, Senior Justice Writer for New York Daily News, thanked Rapinoe for her actions on Twitter.
She responded, "It's the least I can do..."
Kaepernick, quarterback for the 49ers, recently generated controversy after he refused to stand for the national anthem.
He was motivated to do so out of a desire to bring attention to police brutality and the systemic oppression minorities face in the US.
As Kaepernick explained,
I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. 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.
A number of people, including Saints quarterback Drew Brees, criticized Kaepernick's actions, painting them as unpatriotic and an insult to veterans.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested Kaepernick should leave the country if he doesn't like it here.
But many, including a large number of veterans and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, appreciate he's using his position as an athlete to draw attention to important issues.
And it's pretty clear Megan Rapinoe is on Kaepernick's side, too.
Will Rapinoe receive as much negative backlash as Kaepernik has? Only time will tell.
