Colin Kaepernick: From one man kneeling to a movement dividing a country

Colin Kaepernick posted a video on Instagram of two white police officers wrestling a black man to the floor. Alton Sterling, 37, died of gunshot wounds to chest and back. Philando Castile, 32, was shot dead by a police officer. Colin Kaepernick first protested against racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling down during the United States national anthem in the summer of 2016. BBC Sport's Richard Conway, David Lockwood and Simon Clancy travelled to US to investigate.

Castile has a firearm on him. Yanez shot him four times. Castile's girlfriend livestreamed the incident. Micah Johnson, 25, killed five police officers in Dallas. He was angry about the recent shootings of black men by police. He wanted to kill white people, especially white police, because he was upset about it. The police used remotely detonated explosives in the car park where he had taken refuge.

Colin Kaepernick is a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He is known for his controversial kneel-down protest. Colin was adopted as a mixed-race baby. His parents had two young sons who died of heart defects. At high school he was a baseball pitcher and excelled on the pitch. The University of Nevada offered him a scholarship, but he didn't want to play there. In 2011 he is drafted by the 49er's. He leads them to the Super Bowl two years later, they lose to Baltimore Ravens. Kaepernick attends classes at the University. Ameer Hasan Loggins is working towards his doctorate in African Diaspora Studies.

Kaepernick is protesting the national anthem in team kit. Nate Boyer used to be in the US Army Special Forces and is a former NFL player. He wanted Kaepernick to stand for the anthem. Kaepernick met with Boyers and agreed to kneel. The movement is growing. Jeremy Lane of the Seattle Seahawks also kneeled for anthem at a match. Eric Reid and Jeremy Lane of Seattle also stood for it. The two men were joined by Nate. Boying met Kaepernick in San Francisco. They agreed that he should stand. It was an eight-hour drive. In 2014 Kaepernick signed a contract worth up to $126m (£95.8m) over six years.

President Donald Trump said that NFL players who refuse to stand for the national anthem should be fired. The reaction to his words is divided. Many people agree with what Trump says. Others find the protest disrespectful. Travis Kelce of Kansas City Chiefs became the most prominent white player to kneel. He hopes the issue will change society. He told BBC Sport. NBA star LeBron James called Trump a "bum".

Eric Reid, who kneeled with Colin Kaepernick a year ago, writes in the New York Times that their protest is still being misconstrued as disrespectful to the country, flag and military personnel. Fans are against the protest and behind Trump.

"I'm 100% against it and 100 percent behind Trump. I don't come to the football games to see political views. This is not the venue for the protest. They need to respect the flag."

Kaepernick's movement is dividing the country.

Keith Marshall and Rob Kelley bought an Xbox for Jaden, 10, who is wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey. Jaden likes Kaepernick because he stood up for what he believes. Kaepernick is no longer an NFL player, but he is still active in charity and has donated $1m to various charities. He was not on the front cover of Sports Illustrated after the Trump speech. NBA star Steph Curry was featured on it. Curry didn't accept an invitation to the White House. The cover was later changed. It was about sports united following Trump's speech and not Kaepernick. They haven't spoken to each other since the Super Bowl.

Belle Glade is a small agricultural town, inland from the opulent coastal resort of Palm Beach. It is also a hotbed for American football talent. On Friday night, Kortney Ware, 17, took a knee during the national anthem. He did it for the police brutality. The coach of the Glades Central Raiders, Jessie Hester, supports the protests. Some schools in the United States have vowed to punish players who refuse to stand for national Anthem. NFL owners are planning to introduce rules to force players to sit. Some players are already doing it.

Colin Kaepernick's protest movement is dividing the country.