High school players lay down for anthem beside kneeling Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick's message is reaching all levels of football.
With the San Francisco 49ers quarterback on hand, players of Castlemont High School in Oakland took his protest a step further by laying on their backs with hands raised in the air during the national anthem Friday.
Kaepernick can be seen kneeling at the back of a photo of the demonstration shared by former NFL linebacker and current analyst Kirk Morrison.
Kaepernick came to Oakland, CA. He kneeled on one knee, players laid on their back with hands up during the Anthem. pic.twitter.com/Cae4sTopac
— Kirk Morrison (@kirkmorrison) September 24, 2016
The veteran quarterback also addressed the team in the locker room prior to taking the field.
Colin Kaepernick speaks to the players of Castlemont High School in Oakland before joining them in their protest.
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) September 24, 2016
Video by Ben Arnold pic.twitter.com/x1sicDyRr3
Kaepernick began his protest against "a country that oppresses black people and people of color" by remaining seated during the first few preseason games of the year. He transitioned to a kneel after deciding during a conversation with former military veteran and Seattle Seahawks long snapper Nate Boyer that doing so would be more respectful.
A number of players around the league have followed suit in recent weeks, either kneeling, raising a fist in the air, or linking arms with one another in solidarity.