*Colin Kaepernick knows what it’s like to experience racism as a child, and he’s determined that his daughter won’t have to face those challenges without guidance.
The former NFL quarterback says he’s already thinking about how his 4-year-old daughter will navigate a world where her skin color and famous last name could attract unwanted attention.
During an October 19 appearance on “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard,” Kaepernick discussed fatherhood, his childhood experiences with racism and the lessons he wants to pass along.
His daughter, whom he shares with wife, Nessa Diab, was born in August 2022.
And while Kaepernick celebrates her growing independence, he recognizes that protecting her innocence also means preparing her for realities she never asked to inherit.
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For Kaepernick, fatherhood now means confronting painful memories from his own childhood while trying to give his daughter the understanding and support he once needed.
Colin Kaepernick Worries About His Daughter’s Future
Speaking with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, at approximately the 1:28:38 mark, Kaepernick described his daughter as determined, independent and unafraid to challenge authority.
Those qualities make him proud, but they also remind him of the obstacles she could encounter as she grows older.
“She’s gonna be a little light-skinned Black girl,” Kaepernick said. “She’s gonna have Kaepernick as her last name.”
He also noted that she’s tall, another characteristic that could make her stand out.
“I know she’s gonna have to face things. She ain’t asked for all this,” he added. “So, I’m like, you have to be prepared. I’m gonna have to prepare you earlier.”
His concerns are rooted in experiences that began long before he became an NFL star or a nationally recognized activist.
A Childhood Encounter With Racism He Never Forgot
Kaepernick, who was adopted by white parents as an infant, grew up in a predominantly white California community.
During the podcast interview, he recalled a frightening incident when he was 8 years old.
Several neighborhood children grabbed him, tied him to a rose tree and called him a racial slur.
A passing neighbor interrupted the encounter, allowing Kaepernick to escape.
But what happened afterward may have been just as revealing.
Rather than telling his parents, Kaepernick went home, cleaned himself up and acted as though nothing had happened.
“I can’t tell my parents,” he recalled thinking. “I don’t know if they’re going to have my back in this situation.”
He explained that although his parents loved him, he wasn’t confident they would understand what had happened or why being targeted because he was Black carried such significance.
That uncertainty left him trying to process the experience alone.
Fatherhood Brings His Childhood Into Focus
Kaepernick has previously discussed the racial disconnect he experienced growing up in a white adoptive family.
In September, EURweb reported on revelations from his memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” including how his mother’s attitudes toward his teenage relationships influenced his understanding of race and identity.
Now, those childhood memories are shaping how he approaches fatherhood.
Kaepernick wants his daughter to understand her identity and recognize racism before she encounters situations she may not know how to handle.
Still, raising a strong-willed child comes with lighter moments.
He recalled explaining to his daughter why she couldn’t play after dinner, listing three reasons.
Instead of accepting his answer, she immediately asked, “What’s four?”
Kaepernick said Diab enjoys watching him deal with a child who shares his determination.
“You have to deal with you now,” he recalled her telling him.
For a man whose refusal to back down helped define his public life, the resemblance is hard to miss.
But his biggest hope is that his daughter will grow up with something he sometimes lacked: the confidence that when racism comes knocking, she won’t have to confront it alone.
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