A talented quarterback who played professional football for six seasons
The athlete who began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice
An activist who fights against social injustice around the world
On August 14, 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began a protest when he refused to stand for the national anthem. He wanted to make a statement about the oppression of people of color in the United States after he had spent a summer speaking out against police brutality. After playing professional football for six seasons, that would become Colin Kaepernick’s last season in the NFL, but he would go on to become one of the most prominent activists of today. Colin believed that speaking out against racism was far bigger than football, and other athletes agreed with him. Today, hundreds of athletes — from high schools to professional teams — still kneel during the national anthem to protest the treatment of people of color in America.
Discover more about Colin Kaepernick’s story in this addition to the New York Times bestselling series.
Author
Lakita Wilson
Lakita Wilson is the author of several novels and nonfiction projects for children and young adults, including What Is Black Lives Matter? a part of the New York Times bestselling Who HQ Now series, the middle grade contemporary novesl Be Real, Macy Weaver and Sparkle, and the new YA novel Pretty Girl County. Lakita was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland. A 2017 recipient of SCBWI’s Emerging Voices Award, Lakita received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is currently on faculty at Prince George’s Community College in the education department. Lakita lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with her two children and shih-tzu. She can be found online at lakitawilson.com.
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