As Colin Kaepernick neared the end of high school, he had to make a decision: he could play baseball, for which he was already being scouted, or he would try to play soccer, a sport where he felt he could embrace his community and his community. . identity.
Kaepernick chose soccer and became widely known for kneeling to the national anthem at professional soccer games to protest police brutality and racial injustice
On Wednesday, Kaepernick and Scholastic announced that they would be publishing a book about the time frame in which he had to make this choice – a graphic novel for young adults called “Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game,” due out next spring.
“Many of my high school experiences have helped me anchor in my understanding of Blackness, my community, and my sense of worth,” he said in an email. “High school confirmed to me that sometimes only by violating social expectations can we transform into our true selves.”
Illustrated by Orlando Caicedo, “Change the Game” was written by Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing, whose work includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and the “Ironheart” series for Marvel Comics. Aimed at both teens and adults, the book will be published jointly this spring by Scholastic and Kaepernick Publishing — the collaboration that produced Kaepernick’s children’s book “I Color Myself Different.”
“We are excited to collaborate with Colin again on the publication of this second book based on his life experience,” said Debra Dorfman, the publisher of Scholastic’s global licenses, brands and media. “Everyone is at a crossroads in their lives – Colin’s teenage years were defining and his inspiring story reminds readers of all ages not to live up to the expectations of others.”
Kaepernick was a talented pitcher in high school, when he was scouted by colleges and Major League Baseball. His parents, teachers and coaches all believed this was his way forward, but Kaepernick was not that interested in the sport. The description of Kaepernick’s new book quotes Adam Jones, a five-time All-Star MLB player, as saying that “baseball is a white sport.”
Baseball, Kaepernick explained, “would force me into spaces where I would encounter open racism and have fewer resources for cultural support.” On the other hand, he said, football “would give me real opportunities to fully embrace my culture, identity and community.”
He went on to play college football for the University of Nevada and became a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.
“‘Change the Game'” is about how power and resistance work in the real world and how young people can embrace their autonomy and live life on terms that elevate them,” Kaepernick said. “I want young people to have courage, confidence and conviction in who they are and what they are capable of regardless of the obstacles they encounter.”