Smithsonian's Black Lives Matter collection to feature Kaepernick

Items connected to Colin Kaepernick's protest of the national anthem during the 2016 season and his work to fight social injustice and racial inequality will be displayed as part of a Black Lives Matter collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History.

"The National Museum of African American History and Culture has nearly 40,000 items in our collection," Damion Thomas, the Washington museum's sports curator, told A.J. Perez of USA Today Sports. "The Colin Kaepernick collection is in line with the museum's larger collecting efforts to document the varied areas of society that have been impacted by the Black Lives Matter movement."

Thomas previously said the museum planned to display Kaepernick's game-worn jersey and cleats, along with a picture. Contrary to another report, however, the curator said there won't be a specific exhibit for the free-agent quarterback.

"There are no current plans for an exhibition on Colin Kaepernick," Thomas said.

Kaepernick remains unsigned after opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He continues to fulfill his pledge to donate $1 million to charitable causes and has confirmed he will not sit for the anthem in 2017 if he's signed.