Colin Kaepernick may not have a job in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean he’s not pursuing other opportunities. Deadline reported that Kaepernick has teamed up with Ava DuVernay for a limited series focusing on the former NFL quarterback’s years in high school. The series will be six episodes and will be called Colin in Black & White.
Kaepernick and DuVernay are both known as advocates for social justice. The series will apparently put particular emphasis on how Kaepernick’s early upbringing helped him develop a social and cultural conscience. Kaepernick grew up in Turlock, California, and was known for his skills in basketball and baseball, as well as football, during his high school years. He was also adopted and raised by a white family.
“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. 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,” DuVernay said in a statement released in coordination with the news.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback first made headlines in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem in order to protest police brutality. Following a wave of controversy, Kaepernick was let out of his 49ers contract and was not picked up by any other team in the league.
Kaepernick will narrate the series and is also set to executive produce alongside DuVernay and Michael Starbury, who wrote the scripts for the series. The scripts were completed last month, and the show is hoping to begin production in the fall if it is able to under coronavirus guidelines.
DuVernay has already collaborated with Netflix on a number of projects, including her documentary 13th and When They See Us , a limited series that told the story of the Central Park Five. She’s also working on another documentary focused on the life of Nipsey Hussle.
In the wake of the protests across much of the country, there have been rumors of renewed interest in signing Kaepernick to an NFL team. As of yet, Kaepernick reportedly has not heard from any NFL teams about a potential signing, in spite of rumors that teams were interested. Some analysts believe that there may be interest in Kapernick but that nothing will be set up until closer to the training camps this fall.