Activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and director Ava DuVernay have released the trailer for the upcoming Netflix series Colin in Black and White. The limited series premieres on October 29th.
The show stars Kaepernick, Jaden Michael, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Offerman, Amarr Wooten, Mace Coronel, and Klarke Pipkin. In the trailer, Kaepernick narrates as his younger self plays football. He discusses his wide-ranging emotions on the challenges he faced as a Black kid growing up with white parents in a white community. “It turned out my competition wasn’t only on the field,” he says in the clip. “I was in for a rude awakening.”
In a blog post, the co-creators — who first met in 2017 — discussed what they hope viewers get from the series.
“This was an opportunity to open a window into experiences inspired by my high school years,” Kaepernick said. “I want Black and Brown kids and their communities to find guidance in how we can combat racism and oppressive systems. I hope someone can see that they too can come out on the other side and be able to say, ‘I faced those struggles. I’ve worked through them, and I was able to be successful and come out the other end, keeping my dignity and my identity intact.’”
“I hope people feel compelled to examine their own origin story,” DuVernay added. “How did I get here? What things happened — small and large, remembered and forgotten — that led me to this place now? This series is about deciding for yourself what your life and legacy will be. It’s about self-determination, self-propulsion, not waiting for permission, not waiting for everyone to agree, tapping into the voice inside of you, and letting that spur you forward. And it’s about knowing that within your individual story, you are also a part of something larger. My highest hope is that some viewers will walk away with some of these thoughts and questions.”