Watch: Colin Kaepernick attacks his white adoptive parents, accuses them of perpetuating racism in new graphic novel
Colin Kaepernick is back in the news cycle. I know you all must be thrilled. And this time, he's accusing his white adoptive parents of racism. Yes, you read that correctly. His white parents. Who adopted a black child. Are racist.
Kaepernick made the claim during an interview that aired on CBS yesterday while discussing his new graphic novel, "Change the Game," a "high school coming of age story" about how he "embraced his blackness." Which was apparently hindered by many, including his parents.
"I know my parents love me. But there were still very problematic things that I went through. I think it's important to show that this can happen in your own home, and how we move forward collectively while addressing the racism that is being perpetuated."
One example was that his mother didn't want him to get cornrows - in the book, she asked, "He's getting what rolls?" Kaepernick said she told him, "Your hair's not professional. You look like a little thug."
Kaepernick explained, "Those become spaces where it’s like, ‘Okay, how do I navigate the situation now?’ But it also has informed why I have my hair long today."
Interactions like this one pushed Kaepernick to find a community of other black people, which he said he found in the NFL. He told the interviewer he would like to return to professional football in the future.
It doesn't seem conducive to tell your child they look like a thug. But also, no parents are perfect. They're all humans who make mistakes and say things they probably shouldn't and ultimately regret. And it sounds like, overall, Kaepernick's parents were good to him and loved him. So, to me, it seems a tad distasteful for Kaepernick to air their dirty laundry in public to sell some graphic novels and boost his career. But maybe that's just me.