A decade on from his seminal protest, Colin Kaepernick is set to publish his life story in a memoir titled “The Perilous Fight”.
The activist and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s book is scheduled for release on 15 September, published by Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
This date coincides almost exactly with the tenth anniversary of his kneeling during a preseason game, a powerful demonstration against police violence and racial inequality.
His stance was both emulated by fellow players and met with fierce criticism from politicians, team owners, and fans, some of whom resorted to booing and jersey burning.
Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since 2016, stated that his aim is to provide the full context behind his decision to kneel.
“People saw the moment. But they didn’t see the years that made it possible: the questions about who I was; the injustices I could no longer ignore; the voices of those who came before me that I carried into that stadium,”
Kaepernick said in a statement released on Tuesday. “That journey, from a Black kid navigating an identity the world didn’t always make space for, to an athlete who realized the game was bigger than football, shaped everything. When I took a knee, it wasn’t a sudden act.”
Publisher Legacy Lit describes the book as “equal parts memoir and manifesto”, which will trace “the off-the-field battles that turned a single act of protest into a movement that changed American sports and culture forever.”
The 38-year-old played six seasons for the 49ers, notably leading them to the Super Bowl in 2013, where they lost 34-31 to Baltimore.
He has also been a vocal advocate on social issues, established his own publishing imprint, and co-authored works including the picture story “We Are Free, You & Me” and the graphic novel “Change the Game.”
