Denver Broncos: Brandon Marshall Receives Honorary Award
By Ian Walsh
Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall receives Dr. Martin Luther King Jr award for courage at a dinner remembering and commemorating the civil rights leader…
On Saturday April 7th, the 50th Annual Remembrance Dinner was held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago, Illinois. During the dinner, awards were presented by Rev. Clyde Brooks, who worked closely with Dr. King during the civil rights movement.
Among the award recipients was Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, who received an award for his extraordinary courage and helping to make a change in his community.
When he first approached the podium in Chicago, Marshall made sure the audience knew he was not the “other” Brandon Marshall. Joking with the audience, Marshall stated “I’m not a wide receiver, I never played for the Chicago Bears, and I have a super bowl ring”.
Marshall went on to speak about what he went through to receive this award.
Receiving the 50th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. award for courage is probably the greatest award I’ve received to date. And receiving it from Rev. Clyde Brooks, who worked directly with Dr. King in the civil rights movement made it even sweeter. pic.twitter.com/9xHLMRySCL
— Brandon Marshall (@BMarshh) April 8, 2018
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Marshall spoke about his decision to kneel during the National Anthem at the start of the 2016 season. Discussing the difficulty of his decision to kneel, Marshall went on to explain he did not simply want to make a statement. Marshall wanted to be an active part of the change.
Marshall visited schools in Denver and assisted in starting a program to help keep kids in school. In addition, Marshall had a meeting with Chief White of the Denver Police Department to discuss possible changes.
Only a few weeks after their talk, the Denver Police Department changed their use-of-force policy. After hearing of the policy change Marshall said, “That’s a win.” It was after this change that Marshall choose to resume standing for the National Anthem.
Previously, Marshall had been recognized by the Harvard Graduate School Alumni of Color for taking a stand for social justice. Marshall has used his platform as a professional athlete to be a force of change.