Colin in Black and White (2021) – Part 1: Adoption on the Small Screen

008 | Colin in Black and White (2021) – Part 1: Adoption on the Small Screen

 

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines in 2016 when he courageously took a knee during the Star-Spangled Banner in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking national debate over the role of activism in professional sports. Kaepernick went on to become a civil rights activist, devoting his time, resources, and personal narrative to supporting Black and Brown youth in standing in their power—something he knows a little bit about, not only from his NFL days, but from growing up as a transracial adoptee. The limited Netflix series, Colin in Black and White, tells his story, and a story resonant for many adopted people.  

Colin in Black and White was created by Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick.

This episode aired on February 4, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon:

Colin Kaepernick is the founder of Know Your Rights Camp, Ra Vision Media, and Kaepernick Publishing. He is the author of several books, including Change the Game (2023), alongside Eve L. Ewing and Orlando Caicedo.

Transracial adoptee Harrison Mooney is the author of Invisible Boy (HarperCollins Canada, 2022).   

Sullivan Summer was a guest on the Adoptees On Podcast Episode 211.

Colin is married to Nessa Diab, a radio DJ and television host of, among other shows, Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2. But that’s for another episode. 

The National Association of Black Social Workers Transracial Adoption Statement (1972) articulates the organization’s stance against the placement of Black children in white homes for any reason. 

Matt Foster for CNN, “Colin Kaepernick calls out adoptive parents’ racism as he promotes new graphic novel” (March 10, 2023).

Resources for transracial adoptees and their families include:

Colin in Black and White: The Kaepernick Curriculum

Adoption Mosaic offers educational courses for adoptive parents, and community for adoptees. 

Melissa Guida-Richards, What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption (North Atlantic Books, 2021)

Samira K. Mehta, The Racism of People Who Love You: Essays on Mixed Race and Belonging (Beacon Press, 2023)

Angela Tucker, You Should Be Grateful: Stories on Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption (Beacon Press. 2024)

The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen.

We’d love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you’d like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. 

Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.