San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s choice to kneel during the playing of the national anthem as a protest against the brutal police killings of innocent black citizens of our country is pertinent to raising awareness and creating conversation about race in the United States.

Following Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem, many other athletes and teams have joined his efforts in bringing awareness to the injustices within the black population of our country. Ever since Kaepernick’s protest, more athletes joined Kaepernick’s decision, including Minnesota high school teams.

Kaepernick has inspired high school athletes to protest, opening up an essential dialogue about police brutality in schools. These issues are not something to be kept in the dark, and when high school students practice their right to protest, they are brought to light.

According to a study by The Guardian, 112 black citizens have been killed by police since June 2016, which is disproportionate to the population of black citizens in the United States. According to the US Census in 2010, black Americans account for 12.2% of the population, but about 25% of police killings since June 2016.

One of the most stand-out incidents of police brutality over the summer happened in the Twin Cities. Philando Castile of St. Paul was shot and killed in his car after being pulled over for a broken taillight July 6, 2016, two days after Independence Day, when we sang and praised the “land of the free.” Two days after this, an innocent black man was shot in this community.

Over a month later, on August 26, Kaepernick used his platform as a sports figure to protest against brutality like this.

For change to happen in the United States, we need to take a stand as students, athletes, people. We cannot sit by and let these killings continue. Kneeling during the national anthem is a way to peacefully protest against racial injustices and begin a narrative about these issues.