Last week, San Francisco 49’s Colin Kaepernick made headlines. This isn’t unusual for the veteran quarterback, but the reason why everyone is talking about him is that Kaepernick sat during the national anthem before Friday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. Every member of both teams and every fan stood to honor our country, the traditional beginning to every game.

The NFL states that they request the players to stand for the national anthem, but it is not required of them. Kaepernick exploited this fact,using it for his advantage. He has said that he was taking a stand against police negligence and brutality. When asked about his protest by NFL Media, he said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” This isn’t his first time refusing to stand for the anthem; he has sat through the song one other time during a preseason game as well.

Colin Kaepernick often voices his opinion through his Twitter account. His tweets reach his almost 900 thousand followers. He often retweets others voicing their opinions on white supremacy and racism in America. Kaepernick is biracial, but was adopted by white parents, and he’s said that he feels a duty to use his popularity to inform others and inspire others to stand up against oppression in the US.