Colin Kaepernick has been named one of the 10 finalists for TIME Magazine “Person of the Year 2017” for his role in launching protests across the NFL against racial inequality and police brutality.
Colin Kaepernick named finalist for TIME ‘Person of the Year’
The winner of the title will be announced on Wednesday.
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
While Kaepernick did not play this season, TIME’s decision was based on the movement he began.
“The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was unable to find an NFL suitor this year after launching a national protest against racism and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem. Yet the protest grew this year, as hundreds of NFL players kneeled during the anthem in the wake of criticism from President Trump.”
Here’s the rest of the nomination list:
- Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO)
- The Dreamers (Undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children)
- Patty Jenkins (Director of Wonder Woman)
- Kim Jong Un (Leader of North Korea)
- Donald Trump (President of the United States)
- Robert Mueller (Special counsel investigating connections between the Trump campaign and Russia)
- #MeToo (A social media movement to shed light on sexual harassment and assault)
- Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (Saudi prince who led a corruption crackdown, widely seen as an attempt to consolidate power)
- Xi Jinping (President of China)
Traditionally the title was given to politicians or heads of state, but recently TIME has expanded the “Person of the Year” to include influential groups or concepts. In 2014 “Ebola Fighters” were named for their role in fighting the disease in West Africa, while “Protesters” garnered recognition in 2011 for their role in the Arab Spring and Occupy movements.
If Kaepernick wins the award he would be the first private individual to win since Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg won in 2010.
The title will be presented at 7 a.m. Wednesday on Today and streamed on time.com.
