Former American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s notable absence from this year’s Super Bowl has been the subject of much discussion.
Having played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick was instrumental in getting his team to the Super Bowl seven years ago. Now they have returned for the first time since that season, with various former teammates in attendance to show their support.
However, 32-year-old Kaepernick was nowhere to be seen as the 49ers faced off the Kansas City Chiefs, choosing instead to dedicate his time to some very worthy causes.
As reported by TMZ, Kaepernick spent his Super Bowl Sunday helping the less fortunate.
He began his day by volunteering at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, reportedly spending more than an hour with staff and touring the building.
After this, Kaepernick headed over to the SCO Family Shelter in Jamaica, Queens, where he joined forces with Eric Reid and 100 Suits for 100 Men, a non-profit organisation committed to helping underprivileged individuals get business-style clothing to improve their employment prospects.
Footage obtained by TMZ shows Kaepernick taking a hands-on approach with his voluntary work, helping some of the men try on their new suits. And his day of good deeds didn’t end there.
Kaepernick also helped serve meals at the SCO Family Shelter with assistance from the Lower East Side (LES) Girls Club and Know Your Rights volunteers.
In 2016, Kaepernick became a powerful symbol for political resistance when he chose to kneel during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and racial inequality in the US.
Speaking about his decision to kneel at the time, Kaepernick told NFL Media:
I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour.
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.
He added:
This is not something that I am going to run by anybody. I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.
Kaepernick and his supporters believe he was blackballed from the NFL following his controversial kneeling demonstration.
Although Kaepernick was elsewhere during the Super Bowl, his presence was still felt. Beyoncé and Jay-Z themselves remained seated during Demi Lovato’s performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, an echo of Kaepernick’s own protest in 2016.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.