Colin Kaepernick started an incredibly important movement when he decided to kneel for the national anthem. Protesting the racist police brutality that continues to plague the US, he used his platform to demand that the country do better.

So now that Trump is attacking the NFL for allowing players to express their First Amendment rights (while defending the First Amendment rights of the KKK and white supremacists), celebrities are using their platforms to "take a knee" in solidarity against racism and police brutality. 

Colin Kaepernick
photo: Getty/Michael Zagaris

Yara Shahidi

Shahidi wrote and delivered a powerful piece about racism and police brutality, reciting, "Carpe diem they say but they don't know what it's like to be seized, they don't know what it's like to muster up all the air in your lungs just to yell I can't breathe."

Tracee Ellis Ross

#TakeAKnee

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Shahidi's television mom showed her solidarity with Kaepernick's movement by physically taking a knee on Instagram, with her fist in the black power salute.

Uzo Aduba

It's that easy. #takeaknee

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Uzo Aduba also took a knee on Instagram, captioning her photo, "It's that easy. #takeaknee"

Zendaya

Take the knee. Solidarity.

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The singer and actress took to Instagram and Twitter to make her solidarity with Kaepernick's movement known. She retweeted Yara Shahidi's spot-on explanation of the movement, as well as a picture of Olympic winners Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the black power salute in 1968. 

Pharrell

Pharrell pledged allegiance to the flag while emphasizing that there must be liberty and justice for all. 

He also performed at a concert dedicated to the victims of the white supremacist terror attack at Charlottesville. While on stage, he took two knees, saying, “Can’t nobody tell me what to do. If I wanna get on my knees right now for the people in my city, for the people in my state, that’s what that flag is for.”

Diddy

Diddy praised the players in the NFL for using their platform to make such a powerful statement.

Cardi B

Cardi gave Kaepernick a powerful shout-out during her VMA debut. She's continued her support for his movement on Twitter.

Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen retweeted a thread that listed the many ways the NFL has disrespected the flag in unconstitutional ways in the past — like using it for merchandising and advertising purposes. The thread makes clear that kneeling for the anthem is not unconstitutional. In fact, it's in line with the Constitution to protest and demand better for the country.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen pointed out that there is "nothing more American than the right to peacefully protest."

For those who still don't understand that taking a knee has nothing to do with respecting veterans...

Just listen to what this Twitter user had to say. The caption reads, "My grandpa is a 97 year-old WWII vet & Missouri farmer who wanted to join w/ those who #TakeaKnee: "those kids have every right to protest."

Veterans in the US like this grandpa fought for a country they were taught would champion free speech and equal rights for all. Those who are using their platforms to "take a knee" are doing exactly the same.