Kaepernick illustrated one specific example of this in the novel, depicting a fight he had with his parents during high school over his hairstyle.Inspired to braid his hair in cornrows like his hero, NBA star Allen Iverson, Kaepernick recalled received pushback from is parents.
"He's getting what rolls?" his mom says in the graphic novel.
Kaepernick said that after styling his hair this way, his mom warned his hair was "not professional" and he "looked like a little thug."
I know you guys probably don't get this, but calling a black man a thug nowadays is about the same as calling them a n-word, only you don't actually have to say the n word. It's one of those coded dog whistles and it's irritating as fuck, because someone calling a black dude a n-word is at least ballsy enough to risk getting their ass kicked for being a racist shitheel. But calling them a thug is still speaking in their super secret klub kode thinking they are being all slick like colored folk can't fucking figure out their retarded ass bullshit. NowYdid Colin's adopted white mother mean any of this? I would guess no but given his age this was definitely at a time when people were using thug as their racist lil' dog whistle. So it probably stung a bit hearing her say this shit.
Also "He's getting what rolls?" - no, rows, cornrows. Which would be pretty common knowledge in a black household, and people can talk shit on that too, but growing up as a minority in a white household definitely fucks with you.