Although Kaepernick made headlines during his football career for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality, Colin in Black & White will focus on the athlete's high school years and what influenced him to become an activist. More specifically, it "chronicles Kaepernick's coming of age story, tackling the obstacles of race, class and culture as the Black adopted child of a white family," as Netflix summed up.
When first announcing the series on social media, DuVernay explained why she was drawn to hone in on Kaepernick's upbringing in California, rather than his well-documented sports career. "I've long been fascinated by how folks become who they are," she tweeted. "The steps we all take to get to ourselves. When it comes to [Kaepernick], that story tracks the making of a singular American icon."