The man we’ve grown to know as the professional football player who took a knee in protest against police brutality is giving us a peek into the young boy whose experiences started it all.
Colin Kaepernick and Ava DuVernay have partnered up in a new Netflix dramatic limited series called Colin in Black & White, which “will focus on Kaepernick’s formative high school years, lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today.”
More info, per a press release sent to The Root:
The six-episode series, which was conceived in 2019 and recently completed writing in May, provides an introspective look at Kaepernick’s early life as a Black child growing up with a white adopted family and his journey to become a great quarterback while defining his identity.
Emmy Award Nominee Michael Starrbury (who worked with DuVernay on When They See Us) will pen the series and serve as executive producer, alongside DuVernay and Kaepernick. Kaepernick will narrate the series, as well.
“With his act of protest, Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation about race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture and for him, personally,” DuVernay said in a statement via a press release sent to The Root. “Colin’s story has much to say about identity, sports and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience. I couldn’t be happier than to tell this story with the team at Netflix.”
Last year, DuVernay publicly denounced the Super Bowl and the NFL in support of Kaepernick.
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” Kaepernick said in a statement. “We seek to give new perspective to the differing realities that Black people face. We explore the racial conflicts I faced as an adopted Black man in a white community, during my high school years. It’s an honor to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see.”
We don’t have the scoop yet on the release date, but we’ll keep you posted when it’s confirmed (which will likely come with a teaser trailer, I assume)!