Source: Carmen Mandato / Getty
Colin Kaepernick is known for using his platform and voice to speak up for others, but with his latest venture, he’s giving fans a glimpse of his road to stardom.
On Tuesday (Jun 30), Netflix announced the partnership with Colin Kaepernick and Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Award Winner, Ava DuVernay, to produce a limited scripted series focus on Kaepernick’s formative high school years, lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today.
“We’re proud to bring Colin’s experience and his creative vision to life as he joins Ava to share his powerful story and message with all our members around the world,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President, Original Content for Netflix. “It is an unparalleled union of two strong and defining voices coming together to tell the story about what it’s like to be Black in America.”
The six-episode series, which was conceived in 2019 and recently completed writing in May, provides 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. The limited series reunites Starrbury and DuVernay who last worked together on Netflix’s acclaimed When They See Us, which received 16 Emmy Award Nominations, including a nomination for Outstanding Writing. The duo was also honored with a Peabody Award for the heart-wrenching series.
“We’re proud to bring Colin’s experience and his creative vision to life as he joins Ava to share his powerful story and message with all our members around the world,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President, Original Content for Netflix. “It is an unparalleled union of two strong and defining voices coming together to tell the story about what it’s like to be Black in America.”
Kaepernick, who famously led kneeling protests during performances of the national anthem in 2016 to bring attention to police violence and racial injustice, says that the new venture serves as the perfect project to shed a light on the differences between growing up Black in America versus white.
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” said Kaepernick. “We seek to give a 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.”
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