"I would absolutely do it again."
asserted
I → do → it
Ten years on from making the gesture that catapulted him to iconic status, but which he believes led to his exile from the sport he loved, Colin Kaepernick insists he has no regrets.
asserted
he → make → regrets
It was September 2016 when NFL star Kaepernick knelt during the US national anthem before a match as a peaceful protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
asserted
Kaepernick → kneel → injustice
It proved both inspirational and divisive.
asserted
It → prove → ?
In his first interview with BBC Sport since then, Kaepernick reflects on his journey; his pride at seeing England footballers take the knee, athlete activism, the relationship between sport and politics, and the price he paid for being a figurehead for the civil rights movement.
asserted
he → reflect → movement
"I knew the protest could potentially cost me my career," he says.
uncertain
he → know → career
"History shows us…that is a reality for athletes.
asserted
that → show → athletes
We also see this in broader movements, going well beyond costing someone their career, and costing people their lives.
asserted
We → see → lives
We see Malcolm X assassinated, we see MLK [Martin Luther King] assassinated, so the consequences are real."
asserted
consequences → see → ?
Having initially sat to protest against the plight of black people in the US, Kaepernick first knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner before his San Francisco 49ers team played a pre-season game.
asserted
team → sit → game
It was an act he would repeat before 11 regular-season contests that year.
asserted
he → repeat → contests
At the time, he said he could not stand up for - and show pride in - a flag "for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour", adding: "This is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way."
His stance against racial inequality was seen as heroic by many, inspiring other NFL players to follow suit.
uncertain
stance → say → suit
But there was also condemnation from those who said it was disrespectful to the military.
asserted
it → be → military
Those dissenting voices included Donald Trump - then a presidential candidate.
asserted
voices → dissent → Trump
Trump described the act as "a terrible thing" and unpatriotic.
asserted
Trump → describe → thing
He even suggested Kaepernick should find another country to live in, adding players who refused to stand for the national anthem should be fired.
uncertain
who → suggest → anthem
The NFL said it would fine teams whose players did not stand.
asserted
players → say → teams
Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017, though the club's management later said he would have been released regardless.
asserted
he → opt → March
Despite leading the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl, and throwing 16 touchdowns in his final season, one of the most talented quarterbacks in the sport never found a new team.
asserted
one → lead → team
Speaking from New York, Kaepernick says he anticipated the reaction to taking the knee.
asserted
he → speak → knee
"What I couldn't have predicted was the people who would show up for me in significant ways, and also the people who worked against me and against the movement," he adds.
asserted
he → predict → movement
Kaepernick eventually filed a grievance against NFL team owners, who he believed had conspired not to hire him because of his protests, reaching a financial settlement in 2019.
asserted
he → file → 2019
That year, the NFL arranged a private workout for Kaepernick, but he chose not to attend, instead holding his own session elsewhere to allow media to be present.
asserted
media → arrange → session
The NFL later admitted it was "wrong for not listening to players earlier", and encouraged "all to speak out and peacefully protest".
asserted
it → admit → all
'Humbling to see England players take knee'
Following the murder of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis in 2020, taking the knee became a feature of Black Lives Matter protests, and widespread across sport.
asserted
taking → see → sport
England's men's and women's football teams were among those to follow suit.
asserted
teams → follow → suit
"That was a surprising moment for me," says Kaepernick.
asserted
Kaepernick → say → me
"I did think about the protest going beyond the US and how that may show up in other countries.
uncertain
that → think → countries
To be able to see the national teams going out and protesting, it was humbling.
asserted
it → see → ?
I was happy that they were doing it.
asserted
they → do → it
I also know there's still a lot of work to be done within racism in the UK and more broadly.
asserted
I → know → UK
And this is a global challenge that we are collectively fighting against.
"
asserted
we → fight → that
I was very excited to be able to see players actively calling that out, and willing to begin taking action towards addressing it."
asserted
players → see → it
Despite keeping a relatively low profile for most of the past decade, Kaepernick remains a standard-bearer for the civil rights movement.
asserted
Kaepernick → keep → movement
But while surveys suggest the vast majority of professional athletes intend to use their social media channels to raise awareness about racial injustice, external, he accepts the momentum behind athlete activism seems to have slowed in recent years.
asserted
momentum → suggest → years
It was notable that several players across five clubs chose to remain standing when Premier League players took the knee as part of October's No Room for Racism campaign.
asserted
players → choose → campaign
Anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out told BBC Sport the gesture "still has value in raising awareness of the structural inequalities that exist in football and society", but added it could "understand the reasons players might become frustrated with the pace of change".
uncertain
players → tell → change
Reports of discrimination received by the charity more than doubled in the past five years, reaching record levels last season.
"
asserted
Reports → receive → levels
I think we're in a moment that demands protests more than ever," says Kaepernick.
asserted
Kaepernick → think → protests
"Why I think protests are not as loud right now [is] because of the concerted efforts that have been taken by organisations like the NFL, like the Trump administration, and corporate entities following along and capitulating in that process.
asserted
that → think → process
…and 37 more, not listed.
The Aporia
