J. Cole, Colin Kaepernick & More Attend "Colin In Black & White" Screening

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Source: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Netflix

We’re only a few days away from the premiere of Netflix Limited Series “Colin In Black And White” that brought out an intriguing collection of celebs including J. Cole, Anna Wintour, Joey Bada$$, Andre Holland, Korey Wise of the Central Park Five, and more who enjoyed a special screening at The Whitby Hotel in NYC.

Peep the well-moisturized selects below:

From co-creators Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick comes “Colin in Black And White,” a bold new series that chronicles Kaepernick’s coming of age story, tackling the obstacles of race, class and culture as the Black adopted child of a white family.

“Colin in Black and White” stars Jaden Michael as Young Colin before reaching the highest levels of American football as an NFL quarterback and becoming a cultural icon and activist; Nick Offerman and Mary-Louise Parker as his well-meaning parents Rick and Teresa; and Colin Kaepernick himself, who appears as the present-day narrator of his own story, guiding viewers through a robust and colorfully presented array of historical and contemporary contextual moments.

In 2017, DuVernay met activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick who had been propelled into the spotlight after advocating and protesting for social justice issues both on the field and off. The two teamed up for Netflix series and recently spoke about the inspiration behind the series.

Colin Kaepernick: In high school, I faced a lot of different challenges from sports, to my family, and other parts of my personal life, which a lot of viewers may be able to relate to. But I also faced obstacles as a Black kid growing up in a white family in a white community. After meeting Ava DuVernay in 2017, I knew she was the right person to collaborate with. I shared my idea to create a series based on my high school years and she said, “Ok, Let’s do it.” And we started working together to bring these stories to life in the most impactful and compelling way possible.

Ava DuVernay: Colin called me and shared that he wanted to tell the story of his childhood somehow. What interested me was the idea that, through his story, I could shed light on a core belief that I hold: that we can all be the hero, the lead character, of our own lives. It sounds simple, but it’s a powerful idea. Are you the supporting character in your life? Taking cues from others? Your story only mattering when it’s tangential to someone else? Or is your story centered within you? Your hopes and dreams and priorities and beliefs planted in the forefront, not the background.

Bottom line, I was interested in the process of becoming the star of your own life. This doesn’t mean not being of service to others or being selfish and ego-driven. It means having the confidence to stand up and stand strong for oneself so that you can be the best version of yourself. Through Colin’s story, the team and I were able to explore this idea in ways that we hope will resonate with the audience.

And we want to remind people to honor oneself. Because if you’re still standing, and you’ve experienced any of these challenges, then you are on your path. Keep taking your steps. One after another, after another. Because there is glory in your steps. Again, THERE IS GLORY IN THE STEPS. You are the hero of your own story. Remember that.

“Colin In Black And White” premieres this Friday on Netflix on October 29, 2021.