When N.F.L. players, starting with Colin Kaepernick, took a knee during the National Anthem to protest they ignited an uproar over injecting politics onto the playing field.

In partnership with The New Yorker

Athletes vs. Injustice: Protests in Sports

Producer: Matthew Spolar
Editor: Brian Kamerzel

When N.F.L. players starting with Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police mistreatment of African-Americans, their actions ignited an uproar over injecting politics onto the playing field. Their protest had surprising ties to the silent black-power salute by two sprinters at the 1968 Olympics.

View full episodes at PBS.org/RetroReport.

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