NFL
Colin Kaepernick Will Join Board of Directors at Company Run By Former Twitter CEO
Stephen Sheehan began his sportswriting career as a high school student covering sports for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel through a student outreach program. He wrote for Bleacher Report and Fan Rag Sports and worked full-time for Sportscasting in 2020 and 2021. Stephen specializes in covering the NFL, particularly the New England Patriots. Stephen is inspired by the stories sports can tell, from money to tragedies to breaking news; there are so many different ways to cover the industry. He monitors Twitter and various websites every day to find stories to tell in unique ways. Stephen was a 2008 Culpepper Journalism Foundation Fellowship winner, received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2013 and a master's in sports management in 2015 from the University of Florida, and is an active rugby player and former rugby and football coach.
Get to know Stephen Sheehan betterPublished18 Jun 2020
Colin Kaepernick may have sacrificed his NFL career, but he’s managed to inspire countless people to stand up for what they believe in. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback still hasn’t earned another NFL contract. Yet, that hasn’t stopped Kaepernick from getting tremendous support from powerful figures.
He already scored a major donation from Twitter’s CEO. On Thursday, the company’s former CEO officially joined forces with Colin Kaepernick. And in doing so, he will provide the activist with a tremendously powerful platform and position to continue spreading his message of social justice and racial equality.
Colin Kaepernick’s journey from NFL star to activist
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Before he became the face of social justice, Colin Kaepernick made a living as an NFL quarterback. A second-round pick in 2011, he eventually replaced Alex Smith as the 49ers’ starting QB. Capable of scoring seemingly from anywhere on the field, Kaepernick ascended to star status rather quickly.
A fantasy football player’s joy, he racked up prolific rushing numbers to go along with more than adequate passing statistics. He may have had some holes in his game, but he most certainly proved that he belonged as a starter.
Personal success wouldn’t triumph over the greater good. So in 2016, Kaepernick elected to take a knee during the national anthem. What followed turned out to arguably the biggest NFL storyline in years. By simply taking a knee, Kaepernick brought attention to issues such as police brutality, racial inequality, and criminal justice reform.
Unfortunately, that resulted in Kaepernick essentially getting blacklisted by the NFL. Since throwing his last pass in the 2017 NFL playoffs, he’s never played another down. Talk about making the ultimate sacrifice.
Former 49ers QB has gotten support from high-profile figures
I’ve resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, + I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to @kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp
— Alexis Ohanian Sr. ? (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020
RELATED: Michael Jordan Will Donate $100 Million to Join Colin Kaepernick in Fighting for What’s Right
Despite never getting another NFL contract, Colin Kaepernick has arguably grown even more popular and powerful. There’s no doubt he’s become an enemy to some. However, others have stepped up to support the former NFL QB in fighting for causes that affect millions of people.
On June 3, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced a $3 million donation toward Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp. The organization helps pair defense attorneys and civil rights lawyers with people in need of legal resources.
Just two days later, Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, made an even more powerful maneuver. The co-founder of Reddit resigned from his board seat and requested a Black candidate take his place. In addition, he made a public declaration to support the same initiative with a $1 million donation. That set the stage for an even bigger moment on June 18.
Kaepernick will get a seat on Medium’s board of directors
RELATED: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Colin Kaepernick Protested Racial Inequality in Vastly Different Ways
Getting support from public figures can only help Colin Kaepernick on his quest. Now, he’ll get an even bigger platform to spread his message. On Thursday, Medium co-founder Evan Williams announced that Kaepernick will join the company’s board of directors via Medium’s official blog.
Today, we announce that civil rights activist and athlete Colin Kaepernick will be joining our Board of Directors. In addition to the board seat, Medium will partner with Colin and Kaepernick Publishing to create and feature stories focused on race and civil rights in America, and to elevate emerging voices from communities of color.
Williams relayed that he met Kaepernick several years ago and has desired to work with him ever since. In addition, he revealed that when Kaepernick Publishing launched in February, he knew it would be a great fit.
While Kaepernick himself will publish work across Medium’s platforms, his publishing company and Medium will also deliver feature stories from writers of color. Ultimately, Colin Kaepernick will go from taking a knee in silence to using the power of the written word to continue his activist work.
