Colin Kaepernick items to be part of Smithsonian's Black Lives Matter collection

Items belonging to Colin Kaepernick will be part of theBlack Lives Matter collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

"The National Museum of African American History and Culture has nearly 40,000 items in our collection," Damion Thomas, the Washington museum's sports curator, told USA Today Sports. "The Colin Kaepernick collection is in line with the museum's larger collecting efforts to document the varied areas of society that have been impacted by the Black Lives Matter movement."

Thomas had previously told USA Today Sports that items would include a game-worn jersey and shoes.

Kaepernick, as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, kneeled during the playing of the national anthem throughout the 2016 season. The free-agent quarterback said he was protesting racial inequality and social injustice in the country.

Kaepernick was joined by several teammates and inspired players across the league to protest the national anthem, spurring a nationwide debate about the role of athletes on social issues.

Kaepernick was released by the Niners during the offseason. Several NFL players have stated that he is being freezed out of the league for his stance.

The museum, situated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., opened to the public in 2016 as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Among the museum's featured sports items is a track warm-up suit that belonged to gold medalist Tommie Smith, who with teammate John Carlos famously raised black-gloved fists into the air during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.