The former NFL player speaks against his adoptive parents Rick and Teresa Kaepernick in an interview to promote his new graphic novel, claiming they raised him in 'problematic' upbringing.
- Mar 10, 2023
AceShowbiz - Colin Kaepernick is speaking out against his adoptive parents. The former NFL star has accused his white parents Rick and Teresa Kaepernick of "perpetuating racism" and engaging in "problematic" behaviors while raising him.
The 35-year-old quarterback, who is currently a free agent, talks about coming to terms with his racial identity while growing up in a white family in his new graphic novel "Change the Game". In an interview with CBS News to promote the novel, he said, "I know my parents loved me. But there were still very problematic things that I went through."
"I think it was important to show that, no, this can happen in your own home, and how we move forward collectively while addressing the racism that is being perpetuated," the biracial quarterback added of why he decided to share his story.
In the novel, Colin recalled a fight with his parents during high school over his hairstyle. After he braided his hair in cornrows like his hero, NBA star Allen Iverson, Colin said he received a pushback from his family.
"He's getting what rolls?" his mom says in the graphic novel. The athlete went on claiming that his mom told him his hair was "not professional" and it made him look "like a little thug."
Colin said these teenage interactions helped shape his decisions as an adult to embrace his ethnicity. "Those become spaces where it's like, 'Okay, how do I navigate the situation now?' But it also has informed why I have my hair long today," he shared.
Colin drew national attention in 2016 when he kneeled during the national anthem at NFL games to protest civil rights injustices and police brutality of black people across the U.S. The 49ers parted ways with him after the season and he was never signed to another team despite his efforts.
The football player-turned social justice advocate later partnered with Netflix for a limited series about his teenage years. "Colin in Black & White", which was co-created by Colin and Ava DuVernay, premiered in October 2021. He also published a children's book titled "I Color Myself Different" in April 2022 through his publishing company Kaepernick Publishing and Scholastic.
