With Colin Kaepernick still blacklisted by the National Football League (NFL), Eric Reid took advantage of the league’s My Cause My Cleats campaign to support his ex-colleague’s youth program to fight anti-Black police violence. 

The Carolina Panthers safety and steward of Kaepernick’s kneeling protests tweeted a picture of the cleats ahead of his game against the New Orleans Saints last night (December 17). He writes that Brandan Bmike Odums, a New Orleans artist and educator whose work uplifts grassroots causes and Black activism, created the shoe artwork. One cleat references Reid’s team and the Black Panther Party by including its logo next to the words, "PANTHER POWER." The other features Kaepernick, several beret-wearing protesters. The shoes also include the 10-point system that guides Reid’s cause of choice: Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, which offers children free education on self-empowerment and police interactions.

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My cleats for tonight. Much thanks and appreciation to the artist @2cent_bmike. Here’s his take on the inspiration behind his design, “It’s a tribute to the history of protest , centered around the quote “if not us , who? If not now, when? “ meaning we all benefit and stand on… pic.twitter.com/x9PNkmwTK0

rnt— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) December 17, 2018

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the shoulders of those giants who decided their moment was best used for the sake of the people. And it’s always the right time to do what’s right. No different from you using your moment to take a knee. It also has the 10 point platform of Colin’s Know Your Rights Camp.” ???

rnt— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) December 17, 2018

rntBmike posted photos of the cleats and a time lapse video of his design process on Instagram:

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View this post on Instagram

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“If not now , when ? If not us ? Who?” If you’re watching Monday night football make sure you pay attention to my brother @e_reid35 ‘s cleats . A tribute to @yourrightscamp and the history of protest . #paintwhereitaint #cleatsforacause

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A post shared by Brandan Bmike Odums (@bmike2c) on Dec 17, 2018 at 6:53pm PST

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rntIn addition to showcasing players’ causes, the My Cause My Cleats program helps them raise money by auctioning the cleats online. At press time, the auction website had not yet listed Reid’s shoes or his cause. Meanwhile, following the game, Reid tweeted a photo of something that was created by the league—a notice for his seventh drug test of the season.

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Number 7… ”Random” pic.twitter.com/6HkxXCZhQP

rnt— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) December 18, 2018

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