Ava DuVernay (When They See Us, 13th) is set to direct an upcoming Netflix series about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s adolescent years. The show, called Colin in Black & White, will run for six episodes and feature narration by Kaepernick. His younger self will be played by an as-yet-unrevealed actor. Netflix describes the show as focused on “Kaepernick’s high school years and the experiences that led him to become an activist.”
Michael Starrbury, who worked with DuVernay on 2019’s When They See Us, is attached to write the show’s script. When They See Us was a Netflix series about the Central Park 5, which recently won a Peabody award for Outstanding Limited Series. Starrbury, DuVernay, and Kaepernick will all executive produce.
Kaepernick is best known as a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2016, he protested police violence by kneeling for the national anthem before every game that season, inspiring a wider protest movement.
“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,” said DuVernay, in a press release. “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.”
The peaceful protest and the backlash it received–which included Donald Trump calling for Kaepernick to be “fired” and the NFL owners unanimously moving to enforce a “national anthem policy” to require all players to stand for the anthem’s duration–has been brought up recently as an example of a non-confrontative protest that was largely ignored by greater society and that cost the protester his career.