COLIN KAEPERNICK NAMED ACLU CIVIL RIGHTS AWARD HONOUREE

Colin Kaepernick, the former National Football League quarterback, has been named one of the first recipients of the Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Bruce Springsteen shares the honour. Kaepernick's wife, Nessa Diab, posted a message on Instagram acknowledging the award. The ACLU's executive director, Anthony D. Romero, stated that both recipients "epitomize talent with a purpose".

Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to draw attention to police violence and racial injustice. The action prompted significant backlash and led to his departure from the NFL. Diab wrote that Kaepernick "sacrificed so much because you believed this country could be a better place" and noted his continued activism. Romero said Kaepernick's activism off the field "has changed lives for a decade, long after the backlash he received for speaking out against racial injustice".

Diab described Kaepernick as having "kept such a kind heart and continue pouring into millions of people, even after so many people have turned on you". She stated he would "forever be on the right side of history". The award recognises achievements in civil rights and civil liberties advocacy spanning multiple sectors.