60 Colin Kaepernick Quotes On Justice and Taking A Stand

Our latest collection of Colin Kaepernick quotes on Everyday Power.

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Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback who became a national figure for protesting against racial injustice in the United States by refusing to stand for the national anthem.

On September 3, 2018, Nike announced Kaepernick as the face of their “Just Do It” 30th-anniversary campaign.

The ad features a close-up of his face with the phrase “Believe in something.

Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

As described by Sandra Carreon-John, the Nike Global Corporate Communications Director, Kaepernick is “among the most inspirational athletes of his generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward.”

Kaepernick remains a free agent without a team at present.

But while out of the NFL, he has remained busy with charity work, including donating $1 million to charities that serve oppressed communities.

Here are some powerful Colin Kaepernick quotes that will inspire you to make a positive difference no matter what others might think or say.

We also have an entire collection of quotes on racism.

Be sure to check out that as well.

Also check out these motivational Tom Brady quotes from the 4x Super Bowl MVP.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Check out more inspirational quotes on our motivational quotes category page.

Colin Kaepernick quotes on justice and taking a stand

1. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” – Colin Kaepernick

2. “There are bodies in the street and cops are getting paid leave and getting away with murder… I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. If they take football away, my endorsements from me — I know that I stood up for what is right.” – Colin Kaepernick

You will also enjoy our article on Nike quotes.

3. “This stand wasn’t because I feel like I’m being put down in any kind of way. This is because I’m seeing things happen to people that don’t have a voice: people that don’t have a platform to talk and have their voices heard and affect change. So I’m in the position where I can do that, and I’m going to do that for people that can’t.”-  Colin Kaepernick

4. “People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up as far as, you know, giving freedom and justice and liberty to everybody.” – Colin Kaepernick

5. “I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed.”-  Colin Kaepernick

6. “I have great respect for men and women who fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone to fight for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone.” –  Colin Kaepernick

7. “I have seen videos, I’ve seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought for.” –  Colin Kaepernick

8. “This is for people that don’t have the voice, and this is for people that are being oppressed and need to have equal opportunities to be successful.” –  Colin Kaepernick

9. “I realize that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put their selves in harm’s way for my freedom of speech and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee, so I have the utmost respect for them, and I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.” – Colin Kaepernick

10. “There are a lot of people that don’t want to have this conversation. They are scared they might lose their jobs or they might not get endorsements and they might not be treated the same way. Those are things I’m prepared to handle.” – Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick quotes on social change

11. “Most people don’t want to change. They’re comfortable and set in their ways. But in order to change, you have to be able to agitate people at times. And I think that’s something that’s very necessary for us to improve as a country.” – Colin Kaepernick

12. “People don’t realize what’s really going on in this country. There are a lot of things that are going on that are unjust. People aren’t being held accountable for. And that’s something that needs to change. That’s something that this country stands for: freedom, liberty and justice for all.” – Colin Kaepernick

13. “I know that I’m doing something right, I know other people see what I’m doing is right. It’s something that we have to come together, we have to unite, we have to unify and make a change.” – Colin Kaepernick

14. “We have a presidential candidate who’s deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate. That doesn’t make sense to me, because if that was any other person, you’d be in prison. So what is this country really standing for?” – Colin Kaepernick

15. “This is something that has to be said. It has to be brought to the forefront of everybody’s attention. When that’s done, I think people can realize what the situation is and they’ll really effect change.” – Colin Kaepernick

16. “If we have these real conversations that aren’t comfortable for a lot of people, there’s a better understanding of where both sides are coming from. And if we reach common ground and can understand what everybody is going through, we can really effect change and make sure that everybody is treated equally and has the same freedoms.” – Colin Kaepernick

17. “There’s a social responsibility that we have to be educated on these things, to talk about these things.”  – Colin Kaepernick

18. “This isn’t something I’m gonna ask other people to put their necks out for what I’m doing. If they agree with me and feel strongly about it, then, by all means, I hope they stand with me.”  – Colin Kaepernick

19. “While America bills itself as the land of the free, the receipts show that the U.S. has incarcerated approximately  2.2 million people, the largest prison population in the history of mankind.”  – Colin Kaepernick

20. “How can you stand for the national anthem of a nation that preaches and propagates freedom and justice for all, that’s so unjust to the people living there .”  – Colin Kaepernick

Don’t forget to also check out these protest and activism quotes to inspire you to action.

Colin Kaepernick quotes on systemic racism and police brutality

22. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,”  – Colin Kaepernick

23. “To me, this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.”  – Colin Kaepernick

24. “There is a lot that needs to change, one specifically is police brutality.”  – Colin Kaepernick

25. “I say this as a person who receives credit for using my platform to protest systemic oppression, racialized injustice and the dire consequences of anti-blackness in America,”  – Colin Kaepernick

26. “What’s gone on in this country in the past, what’s going on currently, these aren’t new situations. This isn’t new ground. This things that have gone on in this country for years and years and have never been addressed; and they need to.”  – Colin Kaepernick

27. “There’s police brutality. People of color have been targeted by police. That’s something that this country has to change.”  – Colin Kaepernick

28. “I’ve had times when one of my roommates was moving out of the house in college and because we were the only black people in that neighborhood the cops got called and we had gun drawn on us.”  – Colin Kaepernick

29. “It’s the people’s unbroken love for themselves that motivates me even when faced with dehumanizing norms of a system that leads to the loss of life over simply being black.”  – Colin Kaepernick

30. “History has proven that there has never been a period in the history of America that anti-blackness has not been an ever-present terror.”  – Colin Kaepernick

31. “Racialized oppression and dehumanization are evolving into the very fabric of our nation.”  – Colin Kaepernick

32. “This is an award that I share with all the countless people throughout the world combating human rights violations of police officers and their uses of oppressive and excessive force.”  – Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick quotes that will inspire you

33. “I’ll never take the easy way out.”  – Colin Kaepernick

34. “With or without the NFL’s platform, I will continue to work for the people because my platform is the people.”  – Colin Kaepernick

35. “I can’t look in the mirror and see other people dying in the street that should have the same opportunities that I’ve had and say I can live with myself because I can’t if I just watch.”  – Colin Kaepernick

36. “I don’t believe in pressure. The pressure is not being prepared for what you want to do.”  – Colin Kaepernick

37. “I do want to be a representative of the African community, and I want to hold myself and dress myself in a way that reflects that. I want black kids to see me and think, ‘Okay, he’s carrying himself as a black man, and that’s how a black man should carry himself.'”  – Colin Kaepernick

38. “People sometimes forget that love is at the root of our resistance.”  – Colin Kaepernick

39. “Seeking the truth, finding the truth, telling the truth and living the truth has been and will always be what guides my actions.”  – Colin Kaepernick

40. “I’m not incapable of going through things.”  – Colin Kaepernick

41. “For as long us I have a beating heart, I’ll continue to walk on this path on behalf of the people.”  – Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick quotes to elevate your mind

42. “I accept this award not for myself, but on behalf of the people. Because if it were not for my love of the people, I would not have protested. And if it was not for the support from the people, I would not be on this stage today.”  – Colin Kaepernick

43. “You have to train hard and be strong while staying flexible and limber, so I’m trying to find that balance.”  – Colin Kaepernick

44. “If you’re going to do something, you’re going to do it to be the best.”  – Colin Kaepernick

45. “It is funny to me that because I can run, because I’m athletic, people tend to see that as my only asset.”  – Colin Kaepernick

46. “At the end of the day if something happens, that’s only proving my point.”  – Colin Kaepernick

47. “My love for my people serves as the fuel that motivates me and fortifies me on my mission.”  – Colin Kaepernick

48. “Every time I step on the field, I step on the field to make plays.”  – Colin Kaepernick

49. “As I got older my identity developed and my place in society and my understanding of that developed.”  – Colin Kaepernick

50. “People can talk all they want; that doesn’t affect how I go about my business.” – Colin Kaepernick

Other inspirational Colin Kaepernick quotes

51. “Something you’re aware of being a quarterback coming here-you have expectations, and you want to live up to those.” – Colin Kaepernick

52. “There’s a lot of things that need to change, a lot of different issues that need to be addressed.” – Colin Kaepernick

53. “Being an NFL quarterback there’s a lot of advantages that come with it. There are a lot of doors that open when you’re a quarterback but at the same time there’s a lot of scrutiny. There are a lot of things you can’t do as well.” – Colin Kaepernick

54. For me, off the field, cartoons are something that can ease my mind and get me back into having fun and just relaxing.” – Colin Kaepernick

55. “It’s not really pressure, unless you’re not prepared.” – Colin Kaepernick

56. “I have to learn more in order to preserve my body.” – Colin Kaepernick

57. “I just want to improve game to game and try to get better.” – Colin Kaepernick

58. “I think people are really talking about it. Having conversations about how to make change.” – Colin Kaepernick

59. “There are things that have gone on in the USA for years and years and have never been addressed, and they need to be.” – Colin Kaepernick

60. “For me, I don’t really see a lot of the things I do as what I do, I see that as what our team does. It just happens to be that I’m the quarterback in those situations.” – Colin Kaepernick

Which of these Colin Kaepernick quotes was your favorite?

Whether you agree or disagree with his form of protest, Colin Kaepernick has clearly shown that he has the courage to stand up for what he feels is right or important.

Besides, he has reminded people of the importance of taking a stand in life and inspired many others to reflect on their position on certain issues.

Hopefully, these quotes have motivated you to develop a bit of “backbone” and to go for what you really want in life.

Did you enjoy these Colin Kaepernick quotes?

Which of the quotes was your favorite?

We would love to hear all about it in the comment section below.