Colin Kaepernick has announced an upcoming memoir that will be released through his newly founded self-titled publishing company. In a press release, the book is described as “part political awakening and part memoir” and is set to reveal “the life experiences that led him to risk his career as a star NFL Super Bowl quarterback in one silent act of protest.”
According to The New York Times, Kaepernick Publishing will partner with Audible to also release his memoir in an audio format. Future books under the publishing company will also be released as audio books in the partnership.
“My protest was the culmination of years of thought and experiences, of learning and unlearning,” Kaepernick said in a statement. “I want to tell the story of my evolution, and the events that led me to protest systemic oppression, in hopes that it will inspire others to rise in action. I am excited that through this groundbreaking partnership between Kaepernick Publishing and Audible, we can elevate Black and Brown voices who can empower future generations.”
According to USA Today, Kaepernick Publishing will empower Black writers, authors and creators.
“It’s not just my control over stories,” he continued. “We didn’t want to monopolize that and hold that to ourselves. It’s something that should be distributed to the people who are putting in the work to be able to tell their stories and tell them in a genuine and authentic way.”
In the release, Kaepernick also explained the important role that literature has played in his life.
“I’ve always had an interest in books. I’ve had an interest in Black literature,” he said. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X was a book that changed my life, so much that every Know Your Rights camp that we have, we give the book to all of the youth that attend. And Black literature was something that was key to developing my own thoughts and ideas of how to navigate the spaces that I enter.”
The memoir is currently untitled and set to be released later this year.