‘I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people’

The 49ers quarterback sparked off a furious debate by refusing to rise with his teammates for the American National Anthem Friday night before a preseason game against the Packers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told Steve Wyche of NFL Media.

“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 black athlete, adopted and raised by white parents, has become an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The NFL encourages but does not require players to stand for the anthem, a league spokesman said Saturday. And his team, the Niners are backing his action. It issued a statement saying the team “recognize(s) the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”