This week’s episode with Colin Kaepernick was recorded live at Marcus Books in Oakland, California. Kamau opens by thanking Kaepernick for his book, The Perilous Fight, which reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

The conversation turns to Kaepernick's 2016 protest. Kamau reads Kaepernick's famous quote about refusing to stand for the flag of a country that oppresses Black people. Kaepernick explains that this statement came from years of study and reading, rather than a pre-planned remark. He credits reporter Steve Wyche for handling the story thoughtfully: pulling him aside privately rather than pressing him in public, warning him of the potential fallout, and seeking permission before publishing.

They address a widely circulated misconception that veteran Nate Boyer convinced Kaepernick to kneel. Kaepernick clarifies that teammate Eric Reid proposed kneeling as a way to maintain a respectful posture while continuing the protest. The 49ers then arranged a meeting with Boyer, who initially agreed to kneel alongside them but backed out at the last minute, citing his oath, choosing to stand beside them instead. Kaepernick describes Boyer's subsequent actions as opportunistic: misrepresenting the story, profiting off T-shirts featuring Kaepernick alongside an MLK quote, excluding Reid, and leveraging the moment into movie roles. Rather than correct the record publicly at the time, Kaepernick and Reid chose to keep the focus on the underlying issue.

The discussion shifts to Kaepernick's upbringing in Turlock, California, a predominantly white town, where he was raised by adoptive white parents. He describes constantly facing questions about his background and appearance, finding solidarity with other non-white peers, and lacking Black mentors to guide him on cultural matters and hair care. Though his parents were loving, their emphasis on assimilation created tension around his style, hair, music, and culture. He found inspiration in Black athletes who succeeded while staying themselves unapologetically. Figures like Allen Iverson, Randy Moss, and Ken Griffey Jr.

When discussing his racial identity, Kaepernick states simply, "I'm Black," dismissing debates over racial categorization as divisive tactics meant to fragment the community.

Kamau brings up Jay-Z's partnership with the NFL. Kaepernick explains that after trying to reach Jay-Z to collaborate, Jay-Z only called him the day before his official NFL press conference. Kaepernick pushed back strongly, accusing Jay-Z of "selling the culture out to a bunch of racists." He contextualizes this decision by pointing to a 2017 NFL owners' meeting where Panthers owner Terry Pegula explicitly advocated for finding "a Black face" to help end the protests, comparing the strategy to the NRA using Charlton Heston.

Kaepernick details the work of the Know Your Rights Camp, which he launched following the 2015 killing of Mario Woods. Originally focused on legal rights education, the initiative has expanded to encompass holistic community support, including funding free second autopsies in cases of police custody deaths, providing legal defense for 2020 protesters, and distributing PPE, rent relief, and grants to Black-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reflecting on his status as a cultural icon, Kaepernick hopes people who wear his jersey translate symbolic support into tangible action, emphasizing the life-and-death stakes behind the movement.

He concludes with a lighthearted story about his four-year-old daughter challenging him at the dinner table, giving a glimpse into "what I'm going to be navigating for the rest of my life.”.

Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Distributed by Pushkin Industries.

This week&rsquo;s episode with Colin Kaepernick was recorded live at Marcus Books in Oakland, California. Kamau opens by thanking Kaepernick for his book, The Perilous Fight, which reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
The conversation turns to Kaepernick's 2016 protest. Kamau reads Kaepernick's famous quote about refusing to stand for the flag of a country that oppresses Black people. Kaepernick explains that this statement came from years of study and reading, rather than a pre-planned remark. He credits reporter Steve Wyche for handling the story thoughtfully: pulling him aside privately rather than pressing him in public, warning him of the potential fallout, and seeking permission before publishing.
They address a widely circulated misconception that veteran Nate Boyer convinced Kaepernick to kneel. Kaepernick clarifies that teammate Eric Reid proposed kneeling as a way to maintain a respectful posture while continuing the protest. The 49ers then arranged a meeting with Boyer, who initially agreed to kneel alongside them but backed out at the last minute, citing his oath, choosing to stand beside them instead. Kaepernick describes Boyer's subsequent actions as opportunistic: misrepresenting the story, profiting off T-shirts featuring Kaepernick alongside an MLK quote, excluding Reid, and leveraging the moment into movie roles. Rather than correct the record publicly at the time, Kaepernick and Reid chose to keep the focus on the underlying issue.
The discussion shifts to Kaepernick's upbringing in Turlock, California, a predominantly white town, where he was raised by adoptive white parents. He describes constantly facing questions about his background and appearance, finding solidarity with other non-white peers, and lacking Black mentors to guide him on cultural matters and hair care. Though his parents were loving, their emphasis on assimilation created tension around his style, hair, music, and culture. He found inspiration in Black athletes who succeeded while staying themselves unapologetically. Figures like Allen Iverson, Randy Moss, and Ken Griffey Jr.
When discussing his racial identity, Kaepernick states simply, "I'm Black," dismissing debates over racial categorization as divisive tactics meant to fragment the community.
Kamau brings up Jay-Z's partnership with the NFL. Kaepernick explains that after trying to reach Jay-Z to collaborate, Jay-Z only called him the day before his official NFL press conference. Kaepernick pushed back strongly, accusing Jay-Z of "selling the culture out to a bunch of racists." He contextualizes this decision by pointing to a 2017 NFL owners' meeting where Panthers owner Terry Pegula explicitly advocated for finding "a Black face" to help end the protests, comparing the strategy to the NRA using Charlton Heston.
Kaepernick details the work of the Know Your Rights Camp, which he launched following the 2015 killing of Mario Woods. Originally focused on legal rights education, the initiative has expanded to encompass holistic community support, including funding free second autopsies in cases of police custody deaths, providing legal defense for 2020 protesters, and distributing PPE, rent relief, and grants to Black-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reflecting on his status as a cultural icon, Kaepernick hopes people who wear his jersey translate symbolic support into tangible action, emphasizing the life-and-death stakes behind the movement.
He concludes with a lighthearted story about his four-year-old daughter challenging him at the dinner table, giving a glimpse into "what I'm going to be navigating for the rest of my life.&rdquo;.
Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Distributed by Pushkin Industries.

Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people’s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.

Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast, Who’s With Me? Inspired by Kamau’s popular Substack newsletter of the same name, Who’s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. 

In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply—a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs, who is all of that in one body. So… who’s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday. 

Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people&rsquo;s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.
Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast,&nbsp;Who&rsquo;s With Me? Inspired by Kamau&rsquo;s popular Substack newsletter of the same name, Who&rsquo;s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times.&nbsp;
In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply&mdash;a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs, who is all of that in one body. So&hellip; who&rsquo;s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday.&nbsp;

Who's with Me? with W. Kamau Bell

Who’s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. Every Wednesday, stand-up comedian W. Kamau Bell sits down with someone he admires deeply to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place.

W. Kamau Bell is a Peabody Award winner, 4X Emmy Award winner, documentary filmmaker, Celebrity Jeopardy! champion, Official Ambassador of the band Fishbone, self-proclaimed #1 Bruce Lee Expert (non-Asian division), part-time activist, and full-time family man. Kamau is also known for his CNN docuseries United Shades of America, his four-part docuseries We Need To Talk About Cosby, and for scrawling “HAHA!” over his enemies’ faces on his Instagram account.

Who&rsquo;s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. Every Wednesday, stand-up comedian W. Kamau Bell sits down with someone he admires deeply to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place.
W. Kamau Bell is a Peabody Award winner, 4X Emmy Award winner, documentary filmmaker, Celebrity Jeopardy! champion, Official Ambassador of the band Fishbone, self-proclaimed #1 Bruce Lee Expert (non-Asian division), part-time activist, and full-time family man. Kamau is also known for his CNN docuseries United Shades of America, his four-part docuseries We Need To Talk About Cosby, and for scrawling &ldquo;HAHA!&rdquo; over his enemies&rsquo; faces on his Instagram account.

Colin Kaepernick on Never Backing Down

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/673ba3be-e0bd-48c4-a3be-b4e3002f5d10/transcript