Former 49er and original anthem protester Colin Kaepernick, was honored with the National Education Association’s President’s Award on Sunday night.
Kaepernick received the award for his efforts with the Know Your Rights Camp, a group which seeks to make primarily minority children aware of their rights and how to deal with the police. The former quarterback has personally funded the camp since he created it in 2016.
As the Know Your Rights Camp explains on its website, the goal of the camp is to “help build a stronger generation of people that will create the change that is much needed in this world.”
NEA President Lily Eskelsen García described why her organization decided to honor Kaepernick, and others, for their activism.
“The human and civil rights champions we honor tonight are the epitome of the fierce urgency of now that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke about in his ‘I have a Dream speech,'” Eskelsen García said. “Through their deeds and actions, they have demonstrated remarkable courage and conviction to stand up for racial and social justice. They have shown an unrelenting resolve and ferocity to make a real difference for public education, students and our nation’s future. They are shining examples of social justice activism, fighting against injustices every day, and making sure that our great nation lives up to its promise.”
According to Sports Illustrated, “Along with Kaepernick, the NEA also honored former First Lady Michelle Obama, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, Vermont’s Muslim Girls Making Change and others.”
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn