Nearly a decade after Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem and sparked a movement that would forever change the intersection of sports, race and activism, the former NFL quarterback is telling his story in his own words.
Kaepernick brought his new book, The Perilous Fight, to Dallas on October 6, for an evening of conversation hosted by The Dock Bookshop, one of North Texas’ Black-owned independent bookstores. Held at The Black Academy of Arts & Letters, the event featured a Q&A moderated by four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, bringing together an audience eager to hear more about the person behind one of the most widely debated acts of protest in American sports history.
The book takes readers beyond the moment that made Kaepernick a household name. On September 1, 2016, he took a knee during the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” to protest racial injustice and police brutality. But as The Perilous Fight makes clear, that decision was not an isolated act. It was the culmination of a lifetime of navigating identity, belonging and the realities of being a Black man in America.
Raised in Turlock, California, by a white adoptive family, Kaepernick writes about growing up with questions surrounding his Black identity and finding a sense of belonging through sports. His athletic talent eventually carried him to the NFL, a Super Bowl appearance and a place in sports history. But his decision to use that platform for something larger than football came at a steep personal and professional cost.
Following his protest, Kaepernick was effectively shut out of the NFL. Yet the questions his actions raised about race, power, patriotism and the price of speaking up remain relevant today. The Perilous Fight, described as part memoir and part manifesto, explores the experiences that shaped his decision and the movement that followed.
The Dallas gathering offered an opportunity to engage with those themes beyond the pages of the book, bringing together sports, culture, education and community leaders for the conversation. Among those spotted in the crowd were activist Dominique Alexander, journalist Tashara Parker, actress and model Jane Kennedy, and media personality Claudia Jordan.
The event also received support from Dallas College, the Michael Finley Foundation, Paul Quinn College, Kappa Alpha Psi and the Jack and Jill organization—reflecting the broad community interest in Kaepernick’s story and the conversations surrounding it.
With The Dock Bookshop serving as host and The Black Academy of Arts & Letters providing the setting, the evening was also a reminder of the importance of Black cultural institutions as gathering places for dialogue, storytelling and the exchange of ideas.
For Kaepernick, The Perilous Fight is about more than revisiting a defining moment in his career. It is an account of the identity, conviction and sacrifice behind that moment, and a call to consider what it means to stand up for something larger than yourself.