WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Dr. Anthony Fauci and Colin Kaepernick will be honored as 2020 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope award laureates.
The nonprofit Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization announced this year's honorees Wednesday. Along with Fauci and Kaepernick, they also include Dolores Huerta, who founded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez, as well as PayPal President Dan Schulman and Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign.
The award recognizes those who use their stature in the community for positive social change.
Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert and one of the leading voices in the fight to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, has faced a recent barrage of misinformation about the pandemic. And Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality, hasn't played in the NFL since 2016.
Kaepernick said of the Kennedy honor that, "In 2017, I was in the audience honoring Mr. Harry Belafonte as he accepted the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award.
He continued in a statement, saying, "I am humbled to follow the footsteps of individuals like Mr. B and to be in the company of all the other laureates. Thank you for this prestigious award."
According to its website, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award is given out to leaders and public figures who use their platforms to affect social change, and demonstrate a commitment to that cause
Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights said, "Our country is yearning for leadership, for moral fortitude, for common decency and kindness, and this year's Ripple of Hope laureates give us great hope for the future."
The ceremony will be hosted virtually this year on Dec. 10 in honor of National Human Rights Day.
