Colin Kaepernick Honored by Amnesty International for Activism

Amnesty International honored former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Saturday in Amsterdam with the 2018 Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Kaepernick received the award for his peaceful protests against racial discrimination in the United States.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Kaepernick's former 49ers teammate Eric Reid presented him with the award.

In 2016, Kaepernick began the practice of kneeling during the playing of the national anthem to bring awareness to racial inequality and police brutality against minorities.

Per the AP, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty said Kaepernick is "an athlete who is now widely recognized for his activism because of his refusal to ignore or accept racial discrimination."

Since Kaepernick's initial protests, many NFL players have followed in his footsteps by kneeling or raising their fists during the anthem.

Kaepernick did not play in 2017 after going unsigned in free agency.

Though he finished just 1-10 as a starter for the Niners in 2016, he threw for 2,241 yards and 16 touchdowns with four interceptions while rushing for 468 yards and two scores.

In six NFL seasons, Kaepernick owns a 28-30 record as a starter, and he led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII during the 2012 season. They lost 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Seattle Seahawks recently postponed a scheduled visit with Kaepernick, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported it was because the veteran signal-caller did not give an assurance that he would not protest during the national anthem in 2018. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the meeting was postponed because "the team asked for his plan moving forward on how to handle everything and there was not a firm plan."