Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is one of eight people being recognized by Harvard University for their contributions to black history and culture. The eight recipients of the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal are being honored Thursday afternoon by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard.
In 2016 Kaepernick, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, sparked the ongoing trend among athletes, particularly in the National Football League, of kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and social injustice. He went on to be feted by every leftwing entity from Amnesty International to GQ magazine.
Kaepernick was rewarded most recently for his notoriety by sports apparel giant Nike, which made him the face of its latest ad campaign.