Colin Kaepernick on Books for Children: "Kids are so impressionable, so it’s important to make sure we give them great and empowering books to read that help them lay a positive foundation"

You may agree with the letter and the spirit of what Colin Kaepernick (whose birthday is two days before the election) has to say, but you might have second thoughts and wince a mite (whatever the color of your skin) when you see the race-baitin' books that have most inspired him. In any case, because Colin Kaepernick has a new picture book out, the New York Times features an interview with the football quarterback in the paper's (By the) Book section. 

Business memoirs are at hand as he navigates a new role as the founder of a startup to “democratize storytelling.” Meanwhile he has co-written “We Are Free, You & Me,” an illustrated book for kids.

 … Why is writing for kids important to you?

Kids are so impressionable. What they are reading and absorbing at a young age will stay with them forever, so it’s important to make sure we give them great and empowering books to read that help them lay a positive foundation for the rest of their lives.

 … Which books or authors inspired you as an activist?

“The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” by Alex Haley, Malcolm X and Attallah Shabazz; “Revolutionary Suicide,” by Huey P. Newton; “The Wretched of the Earth” and “Black Skin, White Masks,” by Frantz Fanon; “Pedagogy of the Oppressed,” by Paulo Freire; “Black Awakening in Capitalist America,” by Robert L. Allen; “Women, Race and Class” and “Freedom Is a Constant Struggle,” by Angela Y. Davis; “I Write What I Like,” by Steve Biko; “Slave Patrols,” by Sally E. Hadden. These books are written by incredibly brilliant minds and provide research and perspective that is grounded in the liberation of oppressed people, specifically Black people.

Do you expect to write a memoir one day?

Yes. My graphic novel memoir, “Change the Game,” was my first, based on my high school years. I will write a complete memoir in the future.

You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

James Baldwin, Alexandre Dumas and Toni Morrison.

There you have it: Also, Colin Kaepernick seems to have no interest in any author (in any human?) who ain't black.