The NFL was at the center of the nation’s divide due to a major protest started by ex-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. In August of 2016, Kaepernick began a movement of refusing to stand during “The Star Spangled Banner” to protest the oppression of black people in the United States, and more topically, police brutality.

What people may not know is, this huge #TakeAKneel protest did not even begin as kneeling- it started with Kaepernick sitting during the national anthem. Then, the quarterback read an open letter in The Army Times from veteran and former Seahawks player Nate Boyer who expressed how hurt he would have felt if he saw his own teammate sitting during the anthem.

A month later, Kaepernick and Boyer met up and came to a compromise: kneeling instead of sitting – just as a soldier would kneel in front of a fallen brother’s grave.

Green Beret Boyers ended his open letter with a direct reference to Kaepernick that I think we can all learn from. He said, “There are already plenty of people fighting fire with fire, and it’s just not helping anyone or anything. So I’m just going to keep listening, with an open mind. I look forward to the day you're inspired to once again stand during our national anthem. I'll be standing right there next to you.”

Early this September, Kaepernick was announced as one of the faces on Nikes new campaign. We hope that Americans everywhere not only defend our freedom of speech, but most importantly, practice the freedom to listen.