Colin Kaepernick’s controversial decision to not stand during the singing of the national anthem at a NFL preseason game on Aug. 26 is nothing new, according to Spike Lee.
The legendary director and filmmaker said Monday during an episode of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” that he supports the San Francisco 49ers quarterback‘s form of protest, adding that it’s in the same tradition of past black athletes who took a stance against racial issues in America.
“I find it so interesting how people wanna pick and choose what rights people have,” he said to host Anderson Cooper. “Anytime you wanna talk about anti-gun violence, people running around screaming about they don’t want their second amendment rights being infringed upon.
“The same way John Carlos, Tommie Smith raised their black gloved fists in the ‘68 Olympics in Mexico. The same way Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War. These are rights that Americans have.”
Despite receiving support from Lee, U.S. veterans and iconic Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos, many have continued to criticize the 28-year-old’s stance.
Lee went on to tell Cooper that similar to Ali ― who was sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years for refusing fight in the Vietnam War ― Kaepernick will face consequences behind his decision.
“They all do, but these brothers do it just knowing that there’s gonna be ramifications and they don’t care, because this is their belief,” he said. “It’s all an individual choice, but when someone has the courage to step out knowing they’re gonna lose all that, why are you gonna jump on the brotha’ man?”
Check out more of Spike Lee’s thoughts in the clip above.
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