Colin Kaepernickis announcing his next venture!
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback will be releasing a memoir through his own publishing house, the 32-year-old announced on Thursday. It will be released later this year.
In addition to the memoir, it was announced that Kaepernick Publishing, which was founded in 2019, has struck a multi-project deal with Audible to create produce audio projects that will amplify the voices of “notable authors, creators and other influential figures.”
The publishing house’s goal is to “give power to Black and Brown voices globally, offering unprecedented ownership options to collaborators and bringing greater diversity and representation to literature and spoken word,” the announcement said.
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“My protest was the culmination of years of thought and experiences, of learning and unlearning,” Kaepernick said in a statement Thursday. “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,” the athlete added.
Kaepernick first knelt during a preseason game in 2016 against the Green Bay Packers.
Colin Kaepernick.Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” hetold NFL Mediaafter the Niners’ loss in that game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Kaepernickleft the 49ersa few months later in March 2017, and has not played in the NFL since, remaining a free agent.
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“I’ve been ready for three years. I’ve been denied for three years. We all know why I came out here today and showed it in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide,” Kaepernicksaid in a short statement afterward.
“I’ve been ready. I’m staying ready. And I’ll continue to be ready,” he said. “To all the people that came out today to support, I appreciate y’all, I love y’all. To the people that aren’t here, I’m thinking of you, I appreciate you supporting from where you are. We’ll continue to give you updates as we hear. We’ll be waiting to hear from Roger Goodell, the NFL, 32 teams. We’ll let you know if we hear from them.”
“The ball’s in their court,” he concluded. “We’re ready to go.”
But just because Kaepernick isn’t playing in the NFL doesn’t mean he hasn’t been keeping busy.
While his former team was competing against the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIV earlier this month, Kaepernick toured the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York, thenserved foodat the shelter with members ofKnow Your Rights Campand theLower East Side Girls Club of New York, TMZ reported.
source: people.com
