Colin Kaepernick is coming to Netflix.
The former NFL athlete has teamed up with famed director Ava DuVernay for a new scripted limited series, Colin in Black & White.
via Complex:
The series is centered on Kaepernick’s high school years and promises “meaningful insight” into the formative experiences that later inspired him to become an activist for social justice. Kaepernick will narrate the series, which boasts writing from Emmy nominee Michal Starrbury (DuVernay’s When They See Us).
“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 when announcing the project on Monday. “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.”
Kaepernick added that part of the aim of the series is to give a platform to a “new perspective” on the experiences Black people face in America.
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” Kaep said. “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.”
The six-episode series was originally conceived back in 2019 and is confirmed to have wrapped up writing sessions in May.
Previously, news broke in the summer of 2018 that DuVernay was working on turning Kaepernick’s high school years into a comedic TV series. Per the Netflix press release on Colin in Black & White, however, this show is being billed as a dramatic limited series.
Interesting. We’ll have to give it a shot.
He would grow up to play in the Super Bowl and realize you never stop fighting for your dreams.
She would grow up to tell stories that matter to millions.
From @Kaepernick7 & @ava, the dramatic scripted series Colin In Black & White follows the H.S. years of Colin Kaepernick. pic.twitter.com/eb75RkuW2H
— Netflix (@netflix) June 29, 2020
