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Kaepernick told NFL Media yesterday that he chose to stay seated during the playing of the anthem at a game against the Green Bay Packers to show solidarity with \"people that are oppressed.\"

\"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,\" he said. \"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.\"

The NFL released a statement on Kaepernick's staying seated during the song, saying: \"Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem.\"

ABC News has reached out to Kaepernick for comment but has not yet received a response.

This is not the first time this summer that an American athlete has weighed in on the public debate about race.

Following the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in July, which were captured on video and spurred protests across the country, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony reached out to fellow athletes on social media, urging them to “step up and take charge.”

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