Colin Kaepernick is a man of his word.
On Wednesday, the former NFL quarterback announced that he’d fulfilled his pledge of donating $1 million of his salary to communities in need. He began the pledge in September 2016, one month after beginning his on-field protests against structural racism and police brutality.
Kaepernick, who is still a free agent after opting out of his San Francisco 49ers contract in March, confirmed the news to fans on Twitter in a short video Wednesday afternoon.
To wrap up his pledge, the 30-year-old asked a number of high-profile athletes and artists to donate $10,000 to a charity of their choice, which he then matched dollar-for-dollar in what he called the #10for10 challenge.
Joining Kaepernick in Wednesday’s donation was Usher, who pledged $10,000 to Helping Oppressed Mothers Endure Inc. (or HOME), a Georgia-based advocacy organization for single mothers who are emerging from divorce or domestic violence.
Jesse Williams, Nick Cannon and Steph Curry are among the other stars who joined Kaepernick in the #10for10 challenge, according to CNN.
HOME officials thanked Kaepernick and Usher in a heartfelt Instagram post Wednesday afternoon.
The news comes one day after President Donald Trump took a subtle dig at protesters in the NFL during his State of the Union address Tuesday.
The president’s remarks came as he was speaking about Preston Sharp, a 12-year-old California boy who started a movement to place flags on the graves of veterans last year. Sharp was a guest of the president and first lady at the address.
“Preston’s reverence for those who have served our nation reminds us why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance, and why we proudly stand for the national anthem,” the president told the crowd.
Kaepernick, however, isn’t likely to be deterred.
“With or without the NFL’s platform, I will continue to work for the people,” he said in December, while picking up the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, “because my platform is the people.”
