Colin Kaepernick is more than just a rebellious football player, he isn’t just looking for publicity, and his actions aren’t spur of the moment decisions. Kaepernick is a human rights activist, he’s using his stardom as a platform to reach millions of people, and his actions are meticulously planned out.

Kaepernick drew an immense amount of media attention when he sat out the national anthem during week 3 of the preseason against the Packers. The next week he chose to kneel during the anthem. His sitting caused an uproar on social media. There was a major divide, with a group of people supporting him and another group condemning him. Some people view his actions as a form of anti-patriotism, but they are just a small part of his ongoing plan to raise awareness about racism and unequal treatment of minorities in America.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Kaepernick has posted several images on Instagram advocating for African American rights. His actions during the national anthem are just an extension of what he’s been doing for months. He just hasn’t received major publicity for his actions until now. Kaepernick is well within his constitutional rights and has not violated any policy set forth by the NFL. People may not agree with his method, but its not about the method, it’s about the message.