Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab on new book ‘We Are Free, You and Me’: NPR

Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab pose for a portrait.

Kaepernick Media

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Kaepernick Media

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick continues to build on his civil rights work spurred by the decision to kneel during the national anthem at the start of the 2016 season.

His protest against police brutality sparked months of intense national debate about activism and sports.

Kaepernick’s decision came at a price — he remained unsigned after that season — but it also gave him a new platform as an activist, author and, most recently, a father.

Parenting and activism, along with his wife and media personality, Nessa Diab, have inspired a new children’s book, We are free, you and I,
out this month.

The cover of We are free, you and I by Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab, illustrated by Gladys Jose.

Scholastic

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Scholastic

The two spoke with NPR’s Michel Martin Morning edition about their new book, parenting and football.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Michel Martin: Colin, I’m going to start with you because this is your third book written for children or young adults. So I’m saying you had this focus before you became a parent. I wonder how that passion came to you and now that you are a father, is this different?

Colin Kaepernick: A lot of the passion actually came from the work we did with the Know Your Rights Camp. Now that I’m a father – this children’s book, We Are Free You and Me, with my wife Nessa – and all that culmination has really led to a beautiful book that we hope young children can use, internalize and use as a foundation as they move forward .

Martin: Nessa, how would you describe this book to other parents?

Nessa Diab: You will get joy, you will get happiness, you will get strength, you will get stronger and a sense of community. That’s one of the many things I’m proud of because there’s simply nothing you can’t achieve with the right support system. And I think that’s what community is for most people.

Martin: Well, like you said, it’s colorful, it’s cheerful. But I have to say it does deal with some weighty concepts. One of the passages reads:

“Your truth is your strength, just like the roots of a tree, trust your strength.

You have the right to be free. The right to be free is something we share.

But life can be tough and not always fair. Imagine a future who is better.

We can build a new world. We will do it together.”

These are not simple concepts. I mean, the idea of ​​imagining another world is something that many adults struggle with. And I wonder how you feel, especially the smallest people will notice that. I’d love to hear from both of you about this, especially now that you have your own focus group at home, right?

Kaepernick: Precisely. How we approached it was, how do we adopt a lot of the principles Know your rights that’s aimed at the older age group, the work we’ve been doing in communities, and how do we put that in a position where our target audience of 3 to 8 year olds can read this? Like, “Oh, I’m starting, I’m starting to understand these concepts of how I can operate in the world and what rights I have, what I can do, what I should strive for.” And to your point, I think one of the reasons it’s hard for us as adults to even understand some of these concepts is because they’re taken away from us at such a young age. But if we instill this idea of ​​possibility and a better future in a very young generation, they don’t have to rewire their own minds and its rhyming and lyrical nature; we want it to be fun, we want it to be fun. to be joyful, but we also want to convey that extremely powerful message that children can carry with them.

Martin: Nessa, what do you think?

Diab: I agree with everything Colin said. And I think when I was younger I would have liked to receive this message. I mean, the messages came in different ways, but because I distilled powerful messages into a really beautiful, simple way, I think it’s something that I hope our daughter will remember forever.

Martin: Colin, what about you? Is there any of these freedoms that you wish you had been given growing up?

Kaepernick: Yeah, I think the one that stands out to me is the first passage you read that opens the book. “Your truth is your power. Like the roots of a tree. Trust your strength. You have the right to be free.” For me that is such a fundamental message from your own strength to your own identity. And then how you actually express that and how that emerges in the world. That was my personal situation. But we also created this book that everyone will have their own examples where people have different pressures, different perceptions or prejudices against them and that this is probably not a reflection on them or what they do, but on how someone else perceives them . So having confidence in who they are, having confidence in their own strength and their own truth and what they believe in and really following through with that. And if we do this with the best intentions for a better future, we will go very far.

Martin: I hear a little person in the background. Is that your… person, your little person? Your focus group?

Kaepernick: That’s our daughter running around.

Martin: Like you said: freedom to move, freedom to play.

Diab: That’s right.

Kaepernick: Precisely.

Martin: Actually, that’s one of the pages that caught my eye: ‘You have the freedom to move. You have the freedom to play.” Research shows that it is mainly children of color – especially black children – who grow up. Many observers consider them older than they are and treat them accordingly, so they are not really allowed to be children. I wondered if that was part of your thinking when you included that message there: that you can be a child.

Kaepernick: Absolutely. Giving children the space to just be children, as if they won’t be perfect. They’re going to play, they’re going to discover.

Martin: They’ll invade your interviews.

Kaepernick: She’s having the time of her life.

Martin: Colin, before I let you go, I have to ask you: it’s football season. Do you miss it?

Kaepernick: Oh, I’ll miss it forever. And I will continue to train for it. Ultimately, I don’t want to be in a position where I have to look back and wonder whether or not I gave it my all to pursue that. I will make sure that the reason I don’t play is not because of my work ethic or dedication, but because I was left out.

This article was edited by Obed Manuel.