Colin Kaepernick receives Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award

Each year, Sports Illustrated and the Ali family honors a person who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship, leadership and philanthropy and has used sports as a platform for changing the world. This year’s recipient of the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award is Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick receives Muhammad Ali Legacy Award

While Colin Kaepernick has not played football since the 2016-2017 season ended, he still remains steadfast in his efforts towards social justice advocacy.

Social justice advocacy

From the ‘Know Your Rights’ Camp to donating more than $1 million to social justice causes, Kaepernick is more than deserving of the Legacy Award, according to Sports Illustrated.

“I am proud to be able to present this to Colin for his passionate defense of social justice and civil rights for all people,” says Lonnie Ali, Muhammad’s widow.

“Like Muhammad, Colin is a man who stands on his convictions with confidence and courage, undaunted by the personal sacrifices he has had to make to have his message heard. And he has used his celebrity and philanthropy to the benefit of some of our most vulnerable community members.”

Kaepernick’s protest has raised awareness on social justice issues and started the conversation on race relations and how we can achieve social reform. Recently, Kaepernick was named GQ’s Citizen of the Year.