San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Image courtesy of Yahoo.com
With the country still reeling from Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem, supporters of the San Francisco 49ers quarterback are opening their wallets to buy up every last one of his jerseys.
Kaepernick’s famous number 7 jerseys have flown off the shelves since his protest of the Star-Spangled Banner — so much so that it has since skyrocketed to number one on the NFL’s official website. Earlier this week, Good Morning America reported that the star footballer ranked 20th among 49ers players jersey sales before his stance against police brutality gained national attention.
Kaepernick took to Instagram Wednesday to thank his fans for all their love and support while promising to donate the money he received from his spike in jersey sales.
“I wasn’t expecting my jersey sales to jump to number one because of this, but it shows the people’s belief that we can achieve justice and equality for all,” he wrote. “The only way I can repay you for the support is to return the favor by donating all the proceeds I received from my jersey sales back into the communities.”
According to the Atlanta Black Star, Kaepernick had previously announced that he would donate his first $1 million dollars earned this seasons to organizations working to tackle issues near and dear to his heart. The star quarterback said he wanted to ensure that he was actively involved in helping communities.
Kaepernick’s plans to give back have since silenced the nay-sayers who argued that he wasn’t doing enough to actually make a difference. Others are still outraged over his “disrespectful” behavior and critical comments on the nation’s law enforcement personnel.
Kaepernick has repeatedly asserted that he is not anti-American or anti-cop, but simply wants to bring light to the injustices faced by African-Americans and other minorities in this country.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” the quarterback told NFL.com. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
