Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab Release Children’s Book and Reveal Their Daughter’s ‘Favorite Pages’ (Exclusive)

“We Are Free, You & Me” is based on the couple’s 10 points of Know Your Rights camp

In Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab’s household, reading is big business — and now the couple has put that passion into their first joint picture book!

Activist and former athlete, 36, and radio host, 40, release children’s book We are free, you and Iand it focuses on a cause close to their hearts: their Know Your Rights (KYRC) camp and its 10 points, which range from “you have the right to be safe” to “you have the right to be courageous “.

The couple, who share a 2-year-old daughter, are donating all proceeds from the book to the organization, whose mission is to “advance the liberation and well-being of black and brown communities through education, empowerment, mass education”. mobilizing and creating new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.

Related: Colin Kaepernick on His New Graphic Memoir, ‘Change the Game,’ and Why Telling His Story Helped Him Grow

During an email interview, the We are free, you and I The co-authors said that “as parents, this project has been particularly meaningful to us” because the messages it conveys are “what we aspire to affirm in our own child.”

“The book celebrates a fictional family enjoying a day together in their loving community,” the co-authors say. “We hope this book will inspire young people to live in light of their own strength, truth and self-worth as they embark on their journey through life. Artist Gladys Jose has beautifully rendered the vibrancy that shines in the universal joy and promise illuminated in experiences of community.

To read more about Kaepernick and Diab and their children’s literary journey, pick up next week’s issue of PEOPLE or subscribe here.

Before We are free, you and I hits bookshelves, Kaepernick (who released her first children’s book in 2022) and Diab chatted with PEOPLE via email to break down some of the book’s biggest moments — not to mention their daughter’s favorite pages!

I love the authors note at the end that talks about the Know Your Rights camp and how you didn’t want your family to be the focus of the book. Can you tell us a little about why this is so important to you and your family?

We wanted to keep the book focused on a family engaging with each other and their community around their rights and aspirations. The world doesn’t revolve around us and we want to create stories that everyone can relate to and be inspired by.

Related: Colin Kaepernick says he knows his adoptive parents ‘loved’ him, but struggled to accept his darkness

Likewise, the principles of KYRC are so powerful. I was particularly struck by the right to be brilliant, which had an impact on me. How did you acquire these rights?

The KYRC 10 Points are focused on our human rights and inspired by the Black Panther Party’s 10 Point Agenda. These rights are often taken away from us, especially at a young age. Once someone convinces you that you have no rights, you lose all aspiration and potential to become the best version of yourself.

Are there any new or developing updates with KYRC that you can share?

KYRC has several exciting initiatives. We just completed our 13th youth camp in Philadelphia, continuing our mission to educate and empower young people.

In just over two years, our autopsy initiative has already helped 96 families by providing a free second autopsy to loved ones who have died following a police-related death, giving them access to crucial information they might not have otherwise had in their quest for closure and accountability.

We also launched the Know Your Rights Camp app, a unique resource that offers state-by-state information about your rights when interacting with police, whether during protests or traffic stops. It also offers great information on KYRC.

You can listen to our KYRC podcast where we dive into important conversations about health, education, and activism through art.

That hopeful line at the end that echoes Arundhati Roy’s quote at the beginning: “Another world is possible…and it’s on its way” is so beautiful. Can you explain why you wanted to spread this message?

Hope is extremely powerful! Now combine that with momentum and people will take action. As we constantly face pressure to simply accept things as they are, we wanted to present an alternative option to relentlessly pursue a better future for us all.

Related: Colin Kaepernick on His New Graphic Memoir, ‘Change the Game,’ and Why Telling His Story Helped Him Grow

I also like the phrase about “building your team.” What does this mean to you?

The goal is to find your community! It can be through sports, music, science, art – whatever it is, there is a team that everyone can be a part of. Being surrounded by people who love you and encourage you through the toughest times is powerful. We experience this every time we see our KYRC volunteers – who we only see a few times a year. We all come together from different parts of the country and world with the goal of giving back. KYRC is our team.

Related: Colin Kaepernick Shares First Look at His Child’s Book Inspired by a ‘Revealing’ Moment From His Childhood

Likewise, the phrase “freedom to breathe” – and this circle of children who look like they are meditating – really struck me. How do you interpret this sentence for yourselves?

In a fast-paced world that’s only getting faster, sometimes we need to take a break. Moments of silence, reflection and meditation can refocus us and make us more balanced and regulated. This is something I’ve seen Colin do incredibly well over the years. He is now teaching our daughter the same mindfulness/meditation practices as the kids in our book. I learn with them along the way, it’s never too late!

I’m always interested in why people write children’s books in general. Do you read together as a family? Any favorite books or authors in your home?

Yes, we read together as a family several times a day. It is extremely important to establish this habit with our daughter from a young age. Some of our daughter’s favorites at the moment are: I color myself differently, Rocket says look up, Elephants can’t fly, Giraffes can’t danceAnd Such.

I will say though that she loves seeing Colin’s face and saying “DaDa”. These are his favorite pages.

Finally, as a Mets fan, I couldn’t help but notice the little “NY” on the baseball cap on that last page! Is this an Easter egg?

It’s an Easter egg! There are a lot of them actually! The two wearing the “SF” and “NY” hats are two of our closest lifelong friends, Katrina and Tony, who helped build KYRC. Nessa met them in the Bay Area over 15 years ago and we eventually all moved to New York together. Also, our family and Eric Reid and his family are in the background. You will also see other friends who are also part of KYRC like Kerem and his family on the latest broadcast.

We are free, you and I was released October 1, 2024 and available for pre-order now, wherever books are sold.

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