SOLIDARITY

Serena Williams Praises Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid at U.S. Open

Kaepernick and his former teammate Eric Reid got a standing ovation as Williams commended the “greater good” of their NFL protests.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his former teammate Eric Reid received a standing ovation at the U.S. Open late Friday as tennis star Serena Williams praised them for their national anthem protests. “I think every athlete, every human, and definitely every African-American should be completely grateful and honored how Colin and Eric are doing so much more for the greater good, so to say,” Williams told a news conference after defeating her sister Venus 6-1, 6-2. “They really use their platform in ways that is really unfathomable,” she said. Kaepernick, credited with starting a wave of national anthem protests in the NFL last year to condemn racial inequality, has filed a grievance against the league, along with Reid. Both players say the NFL colluded to not sign them because of their role in the protests, which triggered a backlash against the league and drew the ire of President Trump. In a major blow to the NFL earlier this week, a court ruled against the league's bid to have Kaepernick’s case dismissed and said it should move forward.