Netflix plans drama series on Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick is joining with Emmy-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay on a Netflix drama series about the teenage roots of the former NFL player’s activism.
“Colin in Black & White” will examine Kaepernick’s high school years to illuminate the experiences that shaped his advocacy, Netflix said Monday.
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” Kaepernick said in a statement. “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.”
Kaepernick, born to a white mother and Black father, was adopted in Wisconsin by a white couple who moved to California when he was a child.
In 2016, the 49ers QB began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality, drawing both support and criticism, with his detractors including President Donald Trump. Kaepernick became a free agent in 2017 but went unsigned.
Writing on the six-episode series was completed in May, the streaming service said. DuVernay, writer Michael Starrbury and Kaepernick are the executive producers. Kaepernick will appear as himself as the limited series’ narrator.
Further casting details and a release date were not immediately announced.
Kaepernick called it an honor to collaborate with DuVernay, whose credits include the award-winning “When They See Us,” which dramatized the Central Park Five case, and the Oscarnominated documentary “13th.”
“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,” DuVernay said in a statement. “Colin’s story has much to say about identity, sports and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience.”
Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season, filed a grievance against the league in 2017, contending teams colluded to keep him out. The sides reached an undisclosed settlement in 2019.
The 32-year-old Kaepernick wants an opportunity to play.
In the aftermath of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized to players for not listening to them earlier and encouraged them to protest peacefully. Goodell says he’s encouraged teams to sign Kaepernick.
“This young man is talented enough to play in the National Football League,” league executive Troy Vincent said recently.
still
Auto racing: Italian racing champion turned Paralympic gold medalist Alex Zanardi underwent a second brain surgery, 10 days after an emergency operation following a crash on his handbike. Zanardi, 53, was returned to the intensive care unit in a medically induced coma.
College basketball: Michigan standout Emoni Bates committed to play at Michigan State for the class of 2022. In April, the 6-foot-9 guard was named Gatorade’s national player of the year, the first sophomore to win the award. He averaged 32 points this year, but missed his chance to help Ypsilanti Lincoln High School repeat as state champions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
NBA: The NBA and players’ union plan to have “Black Lives Matter” painted on the court inside both sidelines in all three arenas the league will use at the Walt Disney World Resort when it resumes the season late next month in Orlando, Florida, ESPN reported. The WNBAis also discussing painting “Black Lives Matter” on the court when it begins its abbreviated season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. ... Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and isn’t sure he will be able to participate when the season resumes, The Athletic reported.
WNBA: Dan Hughes will not coach the Seattle Storm during the season over concerns about his risk for severe illness if he were to contract COVID-19. The decision was made following a medical assessment by the league and in consultation with Hughes’ primary physician, the Storm announced. Hughes, 65, had surgery last year to remove a cancerous tumor from his digestive tract. He missed nine games while recovering. The Storm promoted Gary Kloppenburg to head coach for the season. Kloppenburg served as the interim coach last season while Hughes was out.