Kaepernick, Chappelle to Be Honored With Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal

Activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and comedian Dave Chappelle will be among eight people honored with Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, the university announced Thursday. “The medal honors those who have made significant contributions to African and African-American history and culture, and more broadly, individuals who advocate for intercultural understanding and human rights in an increasingly global and interconnected world,” the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard said. Kaepernick has accused the National Football League of blackballing him since he started protesting police brutality and social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. He has since donated and helped raise millions of dollars for organizations fighting social injustice, and founded the Know Your Rights Camp. Chappelle, a comedian, writer, and producer, most recently picked up his second Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (pre-recorded) for his Netflix special, Equanimity. All eight recipients of the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal will be honored Oct. 11.