Eric Risberg / AP
A large billboard stands on top of a Nike store showing former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick at Union Square, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in San Francisco.
Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018 | 9:27 a.m.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and comedian Dave Chappelle are among eight people being honored by Harvard University for their contributions to black history and culture.
All eight recipients of the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal will be honored Oct. 11 by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard.
The medal is given to those who have made "significant contributions to African and African American history and culture" and "individuals who advocate for intercultural understanding and human rights."
Kaepernick, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, created a firestorm when he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and social injustice.
The other honorees announced Thursday are Kenneth Chenault; Shirley Ann Jackson; Pamela Joyner; Florence Ladd; Bryan Stevenson; and Kehinde Wiley.
