Former NFL quarterback and social activist Colin Kaepernick is set to receive the American Civil Liberties Union’s Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports.
This year marks the first year of the Ralph Ellison Award, which was established in July of 2026. Kaepernick, along with social justice advocates such as Bruce Springsteen and Vanita Gupta, became the first individuals to receive the award at the ACLU Honors on July 24.
The award is named after the influential author, scholar, and literary critic Ralph Ellison, best known for his novel “Invisible Man”. The novel explores themes such as systemic racism, identity, and alienation from the perspective of a Black person in the United States.
According to an official press release from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports was created to recognize Ellison’s “profound contributions to American thought and culture and underscores the ACLU’s recognition that the defense of our rights takes many forms, disciplines, platforms, and generations”.
Kaepernick became a notable social justice advocate in 2016 while playing for the San Francisco 49ers after kneeling during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and systemic racism. While Kaepernick’s protest ignited a global conversation about injustice, it also led to widespread backlash and accusations of blacklisting from the NFL. After opting out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017, Kaepernick went unsigned and hasn’t played professional football since.
Since then, Kaepernick has continued to pursue social justice movements and initiatives, establishing the Know Your Rights Camp, which provides education about the legal system and self-advocacy.
Both Kaepernick and Ellison used their platforms to speak out against the dehumanizing consequences of systemic oppression. Their legacies serve as an inspiration to speak out against these injustices and give a voice to those who are affected by these systems.
