The Questlove Show Colin Kaepernick
Feb 25, 2026
Colin Kaepernick, former NFL quarterback turned civil rights activist and founder of Know Your Rights Camp and Lumi. He shares his morning training discipline and how childhood imagination shaped his purpose. He discusses sources of courage, influences like Malcolm X and Ali, urgent work of KYRC, and Lumi’s push for AI literacy and youth engagement.
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Daily Training As Anchor For The Day
- Colin Kaepernick makes training the nonnegotiable start of every day, waking at 4:30 a.m. and training by 5:00 a.m.
- He uses a hot shower to wake his body and then spends the last 30 minutes on his workout routine to set the day's rhythm.
Pregame Playlist Fueled His Activism
- During his 2016 activism period Nessa curated a pregame playlist mixing revolutionary speeches and music to sustain his mindset.
- The playlist included Tupac, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali clips and surprise pump-up tracks like DMX's Party Up.
Courage Is Built By Small Repeated Risks
- Courage for Kaepernick stems from three sources: loved ones' support, a moral obligation to do right, and repeated practice of small uncomfortable acts.
- He frames small risks (trying out for a team, leading despite resistance) as muscle-building for bigger acts.