Aclu Honors Colin Kaepernick With Ralph Ellison Award

Colin Kaepernick continues to win off the football field.

The ACLU announced on Friday, July 17 that Kaepernick has been selected for a new award recognizing profound contributions to American thought and culture: the ACLU Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports.

The ALCU also announced musician Bruce Springsteen as a recipient in a press release.

The biennial award recognizes lifetime achievements and contributions to civil rights and civil liberties.

"Bruce Springsteen and Colin Kaepernick epitomize talent with a purpose. Bruce Springsteen’s iconic songs like 'Born in the U.S.A.' date back decades, and so does his advocacy on behalf of civil rights and liberties. Colin Kaepernick’s activism off the field has changed lives for a decade, long after the backlash he received for speaking out against racial injustice," ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero said in a statement. "We are proud of the partnerships the ACLU has formed with Bruce and Colin, and we’re honored to recognize their lifetime achievements with one of the ACLU’s highest honors."

Kaepernick played in the NFL for six seasons. He helped guide the San Francisco 49ers to an NFC championship and a Super Bowl 47 appearance. But Kaepernick’s widely known for kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 as a form of protest against police brutality and racial injustices. His protest sparked a racial reckoning across the country.

Kaepernick went unsigned following the 2016 season and hasn’t played in the NFL since. In 2019, Kaepernick reached a confidential settlement with the NFL to resolve his grievance accusing NFL owners of colluding to blackball him over his national anthem protests.

Off the football field, Kaepernick founded the Know Your Rights Camp, an initiative that empowers youth through legal education and self-advocacy. He most recently helped fund an independent autopsy for Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teen who disappeared during a trip with friends to Horn Island before his body was recovered.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: ACLU honors Colin Kaepernick with Ralph Ellison Award