Netflix announces new series about Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick fans will soon learn a lot more about the activist and football player — thanks to a new six-episode scripted series centering around his adolescent life. Netflix on Monday announced that renowned filmmaker Ava DuVernay and Kaepernick have created a limited series, titled “Colin in Black & White.” 

“The series 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,” the company said in a news release. The show aims to provide an “introspective look” at Kaepernick's early life as a Black child growing up in his White adoptive family and his road to becoming a talented NFL quarterback while “defining his identity.” 

Kaepernick will appear as himself in the series as its narrator. 

“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.”

Netflix has not yet released a premiere date for the series, which was created in 2019, the release said. Writing for the show recently completed in May.

Michael Starrbury, an Emmy nominated writer, served as the executive producer and wrote for the series alongside DuVernay and Kaepernick. Starrbury and DuVernay worked together on the acclaimed Netflix series “When They See Us,” which told the story of the men once known as the Central Park Five — and now called the Exonerated Five.

“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 the news release. “Colin's story has much to say about identity, sports and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience.”

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Kaepernick famously led kneeling protests during performances of the national anthem in 2016 to bring attention to police violence and racial injustice. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has not played for a football team since 2016 after he was not signed by a team. He filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, alleging he was not signed due to his protests. He later settled for an undisclosed amount.

Chris Brito contributed to this report.