Netflix has announced to bring out a limited drama series on the adolescent life of American athlete and activist, Colin Kaepernick. Titled as ‘Colin in Black and White’, the series will throw light on what it means to be a black, athlete and activist in America.
The show will focus on Kaepernick’s early life and his experiences of growing up with black and adopted identities in a white family and society. It will also share the journey of him being a successful quarterback and shed light on themes of racism and justice in American culture and football.
The creators of the show, Colin Kaepernick along with Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Winner, Ava DuVernay formulated the show last year and the writing was completed in May. Alongside the show writers, DuVernay, Kaepernick and Michael Starrbury, also an Emmy Nominee, are also the executive producers of the show. Kaepernick himself will play the narrator of the series.
Unlike stories of Black repression coming out through white lenses, the show promises to be unique; since this time, the racial reality comes out from the lived experience of an adopted Black man in a white environment. With his protests, Kaepernick has initiated a national conversation about race and equality in football and culture. Exploring Kaepernick’s identity through these conflicts would be worth keeping a watch out for.
In the wake of police brutality and the recent Black Lives Matter Movement, digital streaming platforms have taken responsible measures to emphasize their stand against racism. While some have resorted to removing objectionable content that portrays Black lives in a wrong light, some have curated and redesigned their shows for sensitising and spreading the message of Black empowerment. The streaming fraternity’s collective solidarity against racism and the continuous churning of more and more Black stories have left a clear message of their statement.
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