“I know my parents loved me, but there were still very problematic things that I went through."
The former NFL player told CBS Chicago that he grew up in a “problematic” household, which he describes in a soon-to-be-released graphic novel, “Change the Game.”
Kaepernick said, “I know my parents loved me, but there were still very problematic things that I went through. 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 graphic novel tells Kaepernick’s story from high school into his sports career. In the work, Kaepernick claims he had a lack of choice when it came to his future because his parents and others tried to steer him in a direction they thought was best, which led to conflicts with them and their adopted son.
One of the arguments drawn in the pages of the graphic novel was a fight over his choice of hairstyle.
Kaepernick, described in the work that in an attempt to look like basketball player Allen Iverson, he wanted to wear cornrows, but his mother in reality allegedly told him: “Oh, your hair’s not professional. Oh, you look like a little thug.”
Kaepernick claimed that the interaction still affects his life decades later and influenced her recognizable afro hairstyle.
Kaepernick also claimed that the lack of racial harmony caused him to seek community elsewhere and he chose to pursue a football career instead of baseball, because there were more black players in the NFL than the MLB.
The former quarterback has not played since 2016 after kneeling during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice and has since worked as an activist for social justice issues. He recently made a Netflix documentary with director Spike Lee that will chronicle his protests in the NFL.
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