Samuel L. Jackson will receive the Chairman’s Award during the 53rd NAACP Image Awards this month.
The NAACP announced Thursday that it will bestow the 73-year-old actor with the award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate “exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change.”
“Many might not know that prior to his acting career, Jackson was a staunch activist during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, even serving as an usher at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral,” Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, said in a statement. “His continued public service and advocacy for social change make him an excellent recipient for the Chairman’s Award.”
