First cheerleader to kneel down during the national anthem to stand up for justice

A cheerleader in the San Francisco 49ers took a knee during the national anthem. She was the sole cheerleader to do so ahead of the game.

Thursday's game was between the 49ers and the Oakland Raiders at Levi's Stadium according to ABC 7. It will be remembered not just for the action between the two teams.

The kneeling cheerleader was sending a message. Similar to back in 2016 when Colin Kaepernick's made a decision to take a knee, this incident is also causing great controversy.

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The act of kneeling was deemed as a protest against social injustices against minorities, especially unfair violence from police.

Strong opinions came in from both sides of the fence. Many view kneeling as unpatriotic and a slap in the face of the flag. In this case, the cheerleader's identity is still unknown to the media.

Others, including former military personnel who had served, saw it as an expression of one's constitutional rights.

Kaepernick told media at the time he started the movement:

“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Some of Kaepernick's former teammates joined him back then in defiance. The NFL player eventually opted out of renewing his contract in 2017.

He has remained unsigned throughout the current year. However, his legacy in the stadiums continued with receivers, Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson.

The two Miami Dolphins players took a knee earlier this season before their game. And online support for the movement remains strong.

Kaepernick also backed up his stance with a $1 million donation to charity in 2016. But when he did a campaign with Nike earlier this year, things took another turn.

Source: YouTube/ CBS News

Opposers to the movement were so upset with Nike that they recorded themselves destroying their Nike products.

Tyler Merritt, a veteran against Kaepernick's beliefs, designed a shirt saying "Just Stand." It was a modification to Nike's popular slogan "Just Do It."

Though the collaboration has upset many, it once again brings the movement to the forefront and gives awareness to certain issues.