In 2021, a Netflix series titled “Colin in Black and White” was released, which explored the life of Colin Kaepernick. Now, his journey of growing up being adopted has been transformed into a children’s book.
People reports that the football player and activist’s book, “I Color Myself Different,” was inspired by a transformative moment in his childhood.
“When I was 5-years-old, I was given an assignment in school: ‘draw a picture of yourself and your family.’ I drew my white adoptive family with a yellow crayon and then picked up a brown crayon to draw myself,” he said, according to People.
He continued: “This revelatory moment taught me an important lesson about embracing my Black identity through the power of self-love and eventually helped me to understand how my brown skin was connected to my Blackness. Above all, I hope that I Color Myself Different can inspire young people to embrace their power, love themselves and walk in the truth of their own path.”
Being an avid reader during his childhood, Kaepernick recounts back of wishing he was able to read more stories of characters that represented him. His first children’s book, illustrated Eric Wilkerson, is his own contribution to helping to fill the void he personally experienced in his youth for kids of today.
“I always loved reading but I wish there could have been more books at my disposal that reflected my own identity and experiences,” he shared in a statement. “In part, this is why I wrote I Color Myself Different. I want young readers — particularly young Black and Brown readers — to see themselves as central to the stories we tell.”
Ciara And Russell Wilson's Children's Book
Last month, Ciara and Russell Wilson also became authors with their children’s book, “Why Not You?”
As previously reported by AfroTech, the book’s release was sparked by the couple wanting to help children worldwide be represented and learn to have a bright outlook on their futures.
“Our goal is to empower every child to have a ‘Why Not You?’ attitude and we want for every child to look at this book and see themselves in it,” Ciara said. “On the front [of the book] you see a mini Russ and a mini Ci. And our kids can look at this book and see themselves. Every kid should be able to dream big and if you have a ‘Why Not You?’ attitude, the sky’s the limit.”