Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has accused his adoptive parents of perpetuating racism in his upcoming graphic novel “Change the Game.” However, some Twitter users have called him “ungrateful” for speaking out against his parents. More inside….
Former NFL star Colin Kaepernick has opened up about his struggles growing up in a “problematic” household and accused his white adoptive parents of perpetuating racism.
In an upcoming graphic novel, “Change the Game,” Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL for seven years, details his journey from high school to his storied athletic career, which heavily centers around his lack of choice in his future.
Despite his parents’ attempts to steer him in a direction they thought was best, Kaepernick chose to pursue a football career over a professional baseball career because there were significantly more black players in the NFL. His parents’ lack of racial harmony at home encouraged him to find community elsewhere, he said.
The novel also highlights a fight over Kaepernick’s hairstyle: cornrows. The former NFL quarterback sat down with “CBS Mornings” to discuss his childhood struggles and how he and his parents couldn’t see eye-to-eye about his hair. He looked up to NBA star Allen Iverson and he wanted to embrace his blackness to feel better connected. After getting his hair braided as a teen, his mother allegedly told him, “Oh, your hair’s not professional. Oh, you look like a little thug.”
“I know my parents loved me, but there were still very problematic things that I went through,” the former 49ers quarterback said during the interview. “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.”
For the folks to lazy to understand what he’s talking about… pic.twitter.com/UD5LDWU6gx
— Brooks Anderson II (@BNAmusic88) March 10, 2023
This conversation has continued to impact Kaepernick’s life decades later, even influencing his now-famous afro hairstyle.
“It also is informed why I have my hair long today,” Kaepernick shared.
Watch his full interview below:
Some folks were quick to call Colin out for being “ungrateful” to speak out his adoptive parents in that way when they took him in. Peep some reactions below:
Colin Kaepernick had such a bad and racist upbringing that he became a millionaire NFL quarterback and made even more money as a professional victim.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) March 10, 2023
Colin Kaepernick accuses his adoptive mother of racism for…
*Squints*
Not wanting him to get a certain hairstyle?
Who wants to tell him that fighting over hairstyles is something LITERALLY every parent does with their teen? pic.twitter.com/p9Ka3MMSDI
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) March 10, 2023
“My biological parents gave me up. Out of nowhere, these white DEVILS took me in and gave ME an opportunity to be raised outside an orphanage. The audacity of the White man” – Probably Kaepernick
— Hugh Normint (@HNormint) March 10, 2023
What an ungrateful jerk! Where are his bio parents? Nowhere to be found.
— Jane (@Janearooo) March 10, 2023
Or most people barely can pay their bills with raising prices and they are sick and tired of ‘whiny victims’who have made more in 1 year playing a kids game then they have in decades. Or perhaps they have seen this picture. just maybe. Just my take. pic.twitter.com/f5DSD8hOh0
— CosmosHOSS.eth (@CosmosHOSS) March 10, 2023
Ungrateful is ungrateful. More victimhood for a man who has gained financial stability blaming others for his life. Will he sign up to fight for Ukraine?
— Flyonthewall (@Flyonth85407338) March 10, 2023
“Ungrateful POS” is trending because Kaepernick said his adoptive parents were “problematic”.
If you’ve never been accused of racial insensitivity, do you think it’s because:
A. You’ve NEVER done anything that was racially insensitive, or
B. You have, but no one ever told you?— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) March 10, 2023
This isn’t the first time Kaepernick, who is a new dad, has discussed the microaggressions he faced from his parents. In fact, he has previously shared at length about their disapproval of his cornrows and other racial issues in his Netflix documentary, “Colin in Black and White.” For those curious about his experiences, behind-the-scenes clips of the episode can be viewed below:
Despite his 2016 ousting from the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial injustice, Kaepernick still hopes to return to the field one day. His story sheds light on the importance of addressing the racism that is being perpetuated, even within one’s own home.
Photo: DFree/Shutterstock
