A year after George Floyd's death, Pennsylvanians are still fighting for change As Chad Dion Lassiter reflects on the civil rights movement during the last year, he thinks of two moments in recent history that shaped where we are today. On Aug. 26, 2016, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat during the playing of the national anthem before the team's third preseason game. The following week, he kneeled. His silent protest against racial injustice set off a nationwide debate that included former President Donald Trump calling on NFL owners to fire players who kneeled during the anthem. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed outside of a grocery store by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.