Out actor Jussie Smollett is among the
eight recipients of the NAACP Chairman's Award.
The honor, which recognizes special
achievement and distinguished public service, will be presented at
next month's 47th annual NAACP Image Awards, Deadline
reported.
While Smollett is best known for his
portrayal of singer-songwriter Jamal Lyon on Fox's Empire, he
is also a civil rights activist who has worked with nonprofits such
as the Black AIDS Institute, Artists for a New South Africa and the
United Negro College Fund.
At last year's BET Awards, Smollett
interrupted his performance to speak out about civil rights and
marriage equality.
“We live in a nation where freedom is
what we represent, yet we are still fighting for basic freedoms for
all of our people,” he said. “Let the Supreme Court ruling be
proof of how far we've come, let the deaths of our sisters and
brothers be proof of how far we have to go. No one is free until we
are all free.”