Colin Kaepernick kneels, commemorates Black Panther leader death

Colin Kaepernick kneeled before Sunday’s game in part to honor the anniversary of Fred Hampton’s killing, the 49ers quarterback said.

The Illinois Black Panther leader was killed at 21 during a Chicago Police raid of a West Side apartment on Dec. 4, 1969. A federal grand jury found that, despite police claims of being fired upon, only one of the shell casings recovered at the scene belonged to a Black Panther.

Following the Bears’ 26-6 win against the 49ers — in which Kaepernick was benched — the quarterback said he will continue to kneel during the national anthem.

“There are a lot of issues that still need to be addressed,” he said. “There’s significance being here today, seeing it’s the anniversary of the assassination of chairman Fred Hampton.

“Being in Chicago, being able to acknowledge a black figure, a black leader like him is very important, and his role as a leader in this community and bringing this community together is something that needs to be acknowledged.”