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Colin Kaepernick announces plans to donate $100K every month for nearly a year
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San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick has announced plans to donate $100,000 every month to community organizations. - photo by Billy Hallowell
San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick has announced plans to give $100,000 every month to community organizations.

It's a decision that comes as the player continues to garner attention for refusing to stand when the national anthem is played before NFL games a public effort to silently protest against police brutality and related injustices.

Kaepernick said that he will give $100,000 each month for 10 months, creating a website where his fans can trace where funds are allocated.

While the recipients of the pending donations haven't been made clear yet, the player had previously indicated that he wanted to help people and communities harmed by police brutality, Relevant reported.

"Colin Kaepernick says he'll donate $100K a month for the next 10 months," read a tweet from The Sacramento Bee's Matt Barrows. "Is setting up web site so public can track $, how it is spent."

Kaepernick's donation plan comes as some critics have challenged the player to use his platform to do more than simply sit out of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

According to a report published by Barrows, Kaepernick plans to be transparent about where the money goes. Recipients will be groups that tackle racial inequality.

"So everyone will be able to see exactly what organizations the moneys going to, and also making sure we get an itemized list from the organizations of what theyre spending the money on," Kaepernick said of his donations efforts. "To make sure not only that Im transparent in what Im doing but that these organizations are transparent with where the money is going as well."

Kaepernick didn't specify when his website will launch or whether he would allow public donations, telling reporters that he and his personal team are "maneuvering through" the finer points at the moment.

Listen to the player discuss these issues in the locker room here.

Kaepernick had earlier pledged to give all revenue he earns from the sale of his jersey, and with the article of clothing running for $99 and selling fervently of late, it's possible that he's collecting quite a hefty paycheck from those sales.

Kaepernick posted an Instagram message last week saying he never expected the sales of his jersey to skyrocket as they have, but that he will give that money to causes close to his heart.

"I wasn't expecting my jersey sales to jump to number one because of this, but it shows the people's belief that we can achieve justice and equality for ALL!" he wrote. "The only way I can repay you for the support is to return the favor by donating all the proceeds I receive from my jersey sales back into the communities!"

The quarterback once again defended his national anthem protests this week, saying that he's even received some death threats for taking such a public stand.

Still, Kaepernick remains undeterred.

"Theres a lot of racism disguised as patriotism in this country," he told reporters. "People dont like to address that, and they dont like to address what the root of this protest is."

Kaepernick also spoke out against the shooting death of Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old black man who was killed by police Friday night.

Much debate has surrounded Crutcher's death, as he was unarmed and was shot after holding his hands in the air, though the officer who fired her gun reportedly thought Crutcher was reaching for a weapon.

"Its very interesting to me how the situation that happened, they shot and killed a man and walked around like he wasnt a human being," Kaepernick said of the shooting. "People are getting killed and not being treated as human beings. No one went and checked on him, no one tried to resuscitate him, nothing."

He said the officers involved should be in prison.
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