Colin Kaepernick will be the subject of a six-part series produced by acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, Netflix announced Monday.
The series, “Colin in Black and White,” will explore the quarterback’s high school years, trying to show the experiences and insights that led to his activism.
Kaepernick will appear as a narrator, with an actor portraying him as a young man in the scripted drama of a black boy adopted by a white family.
“Too often we see race and black stories portrayed through a white lens,” Kaepernick said in a statement. “We seek to give a new perspective to the different realities that blacks face. We explored the racial conflicts that I faced as an adopted black man in a white community during my high school years. It is an honor to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see. “
Kaepernick will also be executive producer on the series, written by Michael Starrbury. A release date has yet to be set. DuVernay and Starrbury previously worked together on the Emmy-winning Netflix miniseries “When They See Us” on the Central Park Five case.
Kaepernick, 32, spent six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, but has not played in the NFL since 2016, when he began to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice in the United States. The actions sparked debate over the national anthem, and despite his qualifications, including a Super Bowl appearance, Kaepernick has been a free agent since 2017.
“With his act of protest, Colin Kaepernick initiated a national conversation on race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture and for him personally,” DuVernay said in a statement. “Colin’s story has a lot to say about identity, sports and the enduring spirit of protest and resistance.”
DuVernay directed the 2014 drama “Selma,” about Selma’s march to 1965 in Montgomery for voting rights, becoming the first black female director to have her film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
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