The Muhammad Ali Center has named former NFL quarterback, civil rights activist, and entrepreneur Colin Kaepernick – a 2006 graduate of Pitman High School – as the recipient of its Humanitarian of the Year award.
Kaepernick will receive the honor at the 13th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards – the Center’s largest annual fundraiser to support the center’s programs and events – on Nov. 7 in Louisville, Ky.
"Receiving the Muhammad Ali Center's Humanitarian of the Year Award is an incredible honor,” said Kaepernick, who went on to star at the University of Nevada-Reno after graduating from Pitman. “Muhammad Ali lived with an uncommon courage to stand firmly in his convictions, even when doing so came at a great personal cost. He understood that our platforms are not simply ours to benefit from, but ours to use in service of others. To be recognized in his name is simultaneously humbling and a responsibility. I remain committed to bring about justice, uplift our communities, and develop a world where all people can live with freedom, dignity, and self-determination."
In August of 2016, Kaepernick sparked a national debate by kneeling during the national anthem before an NFL preseason game to protest racial injustice and police brutality in the U.S. He continued kneeling throughout the regular season and inspired other players to do the same.
The controversy very likely cost Kaepernick his NFL career.
When the quarterback’s contract expired following the 2016 season (he was 29 at the time and just four years removed from guiding the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII), Kaepernick was not asked to re-sign with the club. Other NFL teams followed suit, not offering even a backup job. It’s widely speculated that owners did not want to anger wide swaths of their fanbases by signing the controversial star.
“Colin was chosen for his courage to stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to empowering underserved communities,” said Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, the co-founder and president and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center. “Like Muhammad, Colin has used his platform to advocate for equality, human dignity, and social change, even when doing so came at significant personal and professional cost.”
In 2015, Kaepernick founded the Know Your Rights Camp, empowering Black and Brown youth through education. He is also the founder of Kaepernick Publishing and the author of several children’s books, including his most recent release with Scholastic, “We Are Free, You & Me,” and New York Times bestseller “I Color Myself Different.” He has won an Emmy as part of Nike’s “Dream Crazy” campaign, and his self-produced Netflix documentary series “Colin in Black and White” has won two NAACP Image Awards.
“Through Know Your Rights Camp and his broader philanthropic efforts, Colin has turned his convictions into meaningful action by educating, empowering, and supporting young people and communities,” said Ali. “His courage, sacrifice, and sustained dedication to service embody the humanitarian spirit and enduring legacy of Muhammad Ali.”
Kaepernick spent six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, setting the all-time NFL record for most rushing yards (181) in a game by a quarterback. He led the 49ers to consecutive appearances in the NFC championship game, and the team’s first appearance in a Super Bowl in nearly two decades.
Kaepernick joins an esteemed class of ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ recipients since the launch of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards in 2013, including President Jimmy Carter, Jim Brown, Susan Sarandon, Harry Belafonte, Geena Davis, Shaquille O’Neal, Christina Aguilera, Michael J. Fox, Patricia Arquette, Ashley Judd, Dr. Anthony Faucci, and many others.
Ali is considered one of the greatest prizefighters of all-time and won the heavyweight championship of the world on three separate occasions. He was stripped of his title on April 28, 1967 – in the prime of his career at age 25 – when he refused induction into the U.S. Army.
Kaepernick was the recipient of the National Education Association President's Award – the NEA’s highest honor – in recognition of his work with his “Know Your Rights Camp”. Earlier this year, The American Civil Liberties Union honored Colin with the Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports. He has been named GQ magazine’s “Citizen of the Year”, and received Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, ACLU’s Eason Monroe Courageous Advocate Award, and the Puffin/Nation Institute’s Prize for Creative Citizenship, as well as Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award for his continued community outreach. He has also personally donated over $1 million dollars with his “Million-Dollar Pledge” to various charities and organizations.
