In Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a young boy named Colin Kaepernick came into the world. At merely five weeks old, he was adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, a loving couple who had tragically lost their two biological sons to congenital heart disease. Colin, a biracial child, was raised by his white adoptive parents with the utmost care and strong moral values.
But as Colin grew older and eventually moved to Turlock, California, he ran into difficulties that were particular to his race. Despite their good intentions and kind-hearted, his adoptive parents found it difficult to comprehend the challenges he faced growing up as a Black child in a predominantly white environment.
Years later, Colin Kaepernick would become a renowned NFL quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and a fearless social justice activist. His journey to success was not without hardship, as he would later reveal. Despite being raised in a loving household, Colin recalled that his adoptive parents unintentionally perpetuated racism.
One of these instances occurred when Colin, then a teenager, wanted to sport cornrows. His adoptive parents disapproved of the hairstyle, deeming it unprofessional. This seemingly trivial disagreement reflected a deeper divide between Colin and his family. Although his parents loved him dearly, they were unable to fully comprehend the unique challenges he faced as a Black child in America.
As the years went by, Colin Kaepernick would step into the limelight, leading the take-a-knee movement during the NFL pregame national anthem ceremony. Amid his burgeoning activism, he opened up about his upbringing in a white American household during a CBS interview to promote his new graphic comic memoir.
Colin recalled feeling loved by his parents but also shared the hurtful experiences that resulted from their lack of understanding. He revealed how they once referred to him as a “little thug” because of a particular hairstyle he wore. Despite the love and care that defined their relationship, there were still “very problematic things” that Colin had to endure.
The Kaepernick family, for their part, has yet to respond to these allegations of racism. They have also never commented on Colin’s anti-racism activism. In an ESPN article published before Colin’s take-a-knee demonstration during the Star-Spangled Banner, Rick, and Teresa Kaepernick reminisced about the joy they felt when they first brought Colin home.
Rick, who had worked as an executive for a cheese company for many years, recounted the seamless adoption process. “Colin never had any adoption issues at all,” he said. “The only difference is his skin is a little bit browner than ours.”
Teresa, Colin’s adoptive mother, tearfully recalled the moment she first held him in her arms. “I’ll never forget that day. They brought him in an infant carrier and set him down. The birth mother was there. I looked at her, and she nodded, and I just picked him up out of the carrier. The minute I picked him up, I just cried,” she said, describing the emotional exchange with Colin’s birth mother. “We gave her a big hug. And she needed a couple more minutes. And then we left.”
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Sources: AWM, Cbsnews, Independent