Samuel L. Jackson Will Be Honored With NAACP Image Awards Chairman’s Award

Samuel L. Jackson is the Chairman’s Award recipient for this year’s NAACP Image Awards. The actor will be honored during the 53rd annual awards ceremony, which will air on BET on Feb. 26.

The Chairman’s Award recognizes accomplished creatives who use their platform for public service. Past honorees include John Lewis and Ruby Dee, Danny Glover, Tyler Perry, then-president Barack Obama and Maxine Waters.

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“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. His continued public service and advocacy for social change make him an excellent recipient for the Chairman’s Award,” said Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, in the award announcement.

Over his multidecade career, Jackson has appeared in more than 100 films, with noted roles including Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. Jackson — who remains one of the highest-grossing actors in the world — will also receive an honorary award from the Academy this year, along with Elaine May and Liv Ullmann.

The actor has a busy year ahead. Jackson’s numerous projects on the docket for 2022 include the Matthew Vaughn spy film “Argylle,” a Marvel series and “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” for Apple TV+.

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