Colin Kaepernick: ‘We must confront systemic oppression as a doctor would a disease”

Former San Francisco 49er quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, was honored Sunday with an ACLU award for his protests toward racial justice and social change, which he demonstrated by kneeling during the National Anthem.

On systematic oppression

Though Kaepernick’s act has been deemed controversial, the former quarterback is still pushing forward as organizations recognize him for speaking out on the issues that matter to him.

During his speech, Colin Kaepernick said our society must confront systematic racism as a doctor would disease:

“We must confront systemic oppression as a doctor would a disease,” Kaepernick said during his acceptance speech. “You identify it, you call it out, you treat it, and you defeat it.”

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Colin Kaepernick receives ACLU award for Courageous Advocate

The 30-year-old was awarded with ACLU’s SoCal Courageous Advocate award for “knowing he would risk his job,” according to the local group’s executive director Hector Villagra.

“He has lost his job, one that he loved and was supremely talented and skilled at,” Villagra told the Los Angeles Times. “Took a stand knowing that some would criticize him, and he has been viciously and unfairly criticized. He has been called a traitor because too many people in this country confuse dissent for disloyalty.”

Recently, Kaepernick was awarded with 2017 GQ’s Citizen of the Year and named the recipient for the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.