Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a household name due to his tireless work for racial and social justice — but he isn’t doing it all on his own. During a 2019 interview with Paper magazine, Kaepernick and longtime girlfriend Nessa Diab — inspired by the Black Panthers’ 10-point platform, and urged to action after the shooting death of Mario Woods at the hands of the San Francisco PD — came up with a plan that would eventually become the Know Your Rights Camp, “a traveling youth-empowerment initiative.”
According to the camp’s website, its mission is to “advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization, and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.” During their joint interview with Paper, Diab revealed that Kaepernick was voraciously reading books on Black liberation and freedom. “If Colin wasn’t reviewing a playbook,” the Teen Mom after show host said, “he was reading a history book.”
Once the interview dropped, the former San Francisco 49er tweeted out a link to the article and his thanks to Diab. “Thank you @nessnitty for representing the @yourrightscamp pillar – The Right To Be Loved!” the athlete-turned-activist wrote in part. “Keep showing us the power of love! Love you Queen!”