MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A day after South Florida marked Fidel Castro’s death with celebrations, the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium greeted Colin Kaepernick with a loud chorus of boos when he took the field Sunday.

The 49ers’ quarterback arrived four days after he got into a testy back-and-forth with a Miami reporter on a conference call over a T-shirt he wore in August that featured slain civil rights activist Malcolm X and Castro, the former Cuban president who died Friday.

Back to Gallery Colin Kaepernick doesn’t back down from Fidel Castro... 27 1 of 27 Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press 2 of 27 Photo: Lynne Sladky, Associated Press 3 of 27 Photo: Lynne Sladky, AP 4 of 27 Photo: Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press 5 of 27 Photo: Lynne Sladky, Associated Press 6 of 27 Photo: Lynne Sladky, Associated Press 7 of 27 8 of 27 Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 9 of 27 Photo: John Froschauer, Associated Press 10 of 27 Photo: Time Magazine 11 of 27 Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 12 of 27 Photo: Jeff Siner, TNS 13 of 27 Photo: Steve Dykes, Getty Images 14 of 27 Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle 15 of 27 Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 16 of 27 Photo: Bob Leverone, Associated Press 17 of 27 Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 18 of 27 Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 19 of 27 Photo: Steve Dykes, Getty Images 20 of 27 Photo: Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images 21 of 27 Photo: Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images 22 of 27 Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press 23 of 27 24 of 27 Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press 25 of 27 Photo: Darron Cummings 26 of 27 Photo: Junfu Han 27 of 27





















































Kaepernick denounced Castro’s oppression Wednesday, but did praise Cuba’s educational system under the dictatorship. His answers weren’t well received in Florida, but Kaepernick continued to mention what he viewed as positives of Castro’s regime after the 31-24 loss to Miami.

“What I said was I agree with the investment in education,” Kaepernick said. “I also agree with the investment in free universal health care, as well as him helping end apartheid in South Africa. I would hope that everyone agrees those things are good things. And trying to push the false narrative that I was a supporter of the oppressive things he did is just not true.”

The T-shirt Kaepernick wore in August had pictures of Malcolm X and Castro from their meeting in Harlem in 1960. Underneath the pictures, it read: “Like Minds Think Alike.” Kaepernick, who wore a Malcolm X T-shirt after Sunday’s game, referred to the meeting in Harlem when asked if he understood why South Floridians might have taken exception to any perceived support of Castro.

“I can understand the concern,” Kaepernick said. “But, for me, what I said was that was a historic moment for Malcolm. I’m not going to cut out pieces of Malcolm’s life. In 1960, when they met in Harlem, that was a historic moment. And that’s something where I will always be true to what Malcolm was, what he represented. I’m not going to cut out history.”

Later, Kaepernick was asked if he wanted to clarify any of his remarks.

“I feel like I did clarify them,” Kaepernick said. “I believe in the investment in education, I believe in the free universal health care, which we don’t have (in the United States). And I also believe in the positive thing he did in helping end apartheid in South Africa.”

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.