in Entertainment, So That Happened

Beyonce Makes Surprise Appearance–And Colin Kaepernick Wasn’t Ready For It

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For those who don’t know, Colin Kaepernick has been doing a lot for social justice and activism over the last year. The NFL quarterback has taken a stand, supporting the Black Lives Matter activist group, and began the protest of kneeling during the national anthem during NFL games. Kaepernick protested as a way to speak out against inequality, racial injustice and police brutality in America. While many people believe what he has been doing is “anti-American,” I’d argue that the way in which minority groups of Americans have been treated is much more “anti-American,” than peaceful protests.

On Tuesday, Kaepernick received the prestigious Sports Illustrated’s Muhammad Ali Legacy Award and as a surprise, was introduced by Beyoncé.

Trevor Noah, political satire journalist, announced the surprise presenter and Kaepernick was completely taken off guard.

Beyoncé said in her opening:

“Colin took action with no fear of consequence or repercussion, only hope to change the world for the better. To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color.”

Last year’s winner of the award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also said that Kaepernick deserved the award and then some.

“He fully embraced the risk to his career in order to remind Americans of the systemic racism that was denying African-Americans their opportunities to equal education, jobs, health and even their lives.”

After receiving the award, Kaepernick claimed:

“With or without the NFL’s platform, I will continue to work for the people.”

I truly believe this award was well-deserved and that Kaepernick shows the kind of ambition and social justice understanding many people in America need to have.

Twitter users happen to agree.