Colin Kaepernick kneeling protest featured on cover of ‘Time’ magazine

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is featured on the cover of Time magazine’s Oct. 3, 2016 issue, showing just how far reaching the conversation started by his kneeling protest during the national anthem has grown.

Kaepernick’s protest was first captured at the end of August, when he sat during the national anthem of the third preseason game of the year for the 49ers. On Aug. 26, he protested the treatment of minorities in the United States, and police brutality. While he sat during the first two preseason games, he wasn’t in uniform and the protest went unnoticed. But in the month since his protest has captured attention, the message has been heard loud and clear.

Several players around the NFL have since followed Kaepernick’s lead to protest during the national anthem, and talk about the quarterback’s demonstration has reached everywhere from Time to South Park.

In the cover story written by Time’s Sean Gregory, the magazine spoke with several athletes, including Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, New England Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty, and Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown, as well as athletes in other sports.

“We’re not doing this made-up thing to get attention,” Jenkins said of his decision to join Kaepernick’s protest by raising his fist during the national anthem. “Real lives are being lost. Real communities are being affected. The negativity comes from people’s unwillingness to digest the hard truth.”

Accompanying the cover article in the Oct. 3 issue are three commentary pieces, including one written by Miami Dolphins cornerback Jelani Jenkins.