The story of Colin Kaepernick’s life will be the next subject for a Netflix series. For this project, the streamer has tapped When They See Us creator Ava DuVernay to adapt the story.
The athlete-turned-activist will team with DuVernay for Colin in Black & White, a scripted series that has been picked up straight to series at Netflix. The six-episode mini-series will look to dive into Kaepernick’s adolescent life with a focus on his high school years. Colin in Black & White plans to discuss and display the experiences that led him to become the civil rights activist of today.
“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,” said DuVernay. “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.”
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” said Kaepernick. “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 goes on to describe the series as “offering an introspective look at Kaepernick’s early life as a Black child growing up with a white adopted family and his journey to becoming a great quarterback while defining his identity.”