With the current political climate in the United States, the story of Colin Keapernick has come back into focus.
The former NFL quarterback was ostracised by the league after he chose to 'take a knee' during the playing of the national anthem back in 2016 to protest police brutality. After being released by the San Francisco 49ers, he has been unable to find another team willing to give him a contract.
While many believe the rejuvenation of the Black Lives Matter movement could see him finally be given another shot in the NFL, it was today announced that Kaepernick has partnered with Netflix to produce a six-part drama series based around his life.
Colin in Black and White will tell the story of Kaepernick's high school years, showing the incidents that took place that led him to become an activist during his sporting career.
It will be directed by Ava DuVernay, with the football player set to act as narrator.
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
In a statement released earlier today, Kaepernick explained the motivation behind the series:
Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens. 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 honour to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see.
The series has not been given an official release date, but will be written by Michael Starrbury, who teamed up with Ava DuVernay for the award winning Netflix mini-series When They See Us.
This certainly sounds as though it could a compelling watch.
