Colin Kaepernick's decision to stay seated during the national anthem during an NFL preseason game on August 26 has been the subject of numerous headlines and discussions in recent weeks. After deciding to kneel during 'The Star-Spangled Banner" on September 1, Kaepernick spoke to the press and promised to take his silent protest a step further by donating $1 million to organization fighting racial injustice.
"I've been very blessed to be in this position and be able to make the kind of money I do," Kaepernick told reporters at a press conference following the 49ers final preseason game on September 1. "I have to help these communities. It's not right that they're not put in the position to succeed or given those opportunities to succeed."
On Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers pledged $1 million to two Bay Area organization that combat socioeconomic inequality, reports Jim Trotter of the NFL Network. According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, the money will go to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation.
In a statement provided to The FADER, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York wrote, "Today, I am committing that the 49ers Foundation will contribute $1 Million to the cause of improving racial and economic inequality and fostering communication and collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve here in the Bay Area."
The statement continues:
We are partnering with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation in this effort. We have chosen to work with these two organizations because they have proven track records of affecting change in the face of challenging problems and have the collective reach to make the greatest impact. Silicon Valley Community Foundation is the largest community foundation in the world, managing $7.3 billion in assets and more than 1,800 philanthropic funds globally. The San Francisco Foundation has served the people of the Bay Area since 1948, almost as long as the 49ers franchise. We are excited to work with these two renowned foundations over the coming months to develop a giving plan to help our community find unifying solutions to these pressing issues.