The Harvard Graduate School of Education is honoring Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall with its 2017 Courage Award for raising awareness of social injustice issues and his work in the community.
Marshall kneeled during the national anthem for seven games last season as a way to protest racial injustice in America. He met with Denver Police Chief Robert White in September to discuss police's treatment of people of color. Shortly after the meeting, Marshall outlined a plan to bring about positive change.
Marshall pledged to give $300 for every tackle he made to several local charities and organizations. He finished with 52 tackles this year, which comes out to $15,600. In December, Marshall also had a clothing drive to support victims of domestic violence.
"The 2017 Alumni of Color Conference (AOCC) Courage Award is given to an individual demonstrating outstanding commitment to the principles of justice, equity, and including," a Harvard press release said. "Selected by the AOCC chairs, this inaugural award reflects the principles of the conference, including depth of character, extraordinary leadership, and engaged activism."
Marshall lost endorsements and received racist hate mail during the weeks he kneeled during the national anthem. He started standing again in November after the Denver Police Department announced it would review its use-of-force policy.
"Going forward, I will be standing for the National Anthem — not because everything is perfect, or because I’m changing my stance on things. But because of my hope for what we can become," Marshall wrote on Instagram.
Marshall will receive the award March 3-4 at the Alumni of Color’s 2017 Conference.
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