The 54th NAACP Image Awards will honor Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade with the organization’s President’s Award.
“As a family, we believe inclusion and equality are two essential pillars needed to move towards growth and progressive thinking and action in our society,” said Union in an Instagram post.
The President’s Award recognizes those who have made special achievements and engaged in distinguished public service. Actor and best-selling author Gabrielle Union and three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade have done just that though their efforts with their Wade Family Foundation.
According to the foundation’s website, the WFF provides resources and opportunities for youth from underserved communities and disadvantaged backgrounds. The dynamic duo use their platforms to help advocate justice within the LGBTQ+ community, helping to create true change.
The foundation also helps with meal donations, health care and other resources to help push the community forward. In 2019 the Wade family created limited-edition t-shirts for Pride - with half the proceeds going to GLSEN a foundation that helps create learning environments for LGBT Youth. On top of the t-shirt sales, they donated an additional $50,000 to the cause.
The Wade family has been in the spotlight as activists since their child, Zaya Wade, came out at 12-years-old, an event Wade recalled in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. Since then, Zaya, who is now 15-years-old, has officially come out as transgender, using the pronouns she/her.
“I think as a family, we should support each other. That’s our job. And my job as a father is to facilitate their lives and to support them and be behind them in whatever they want to do,” Wade later told Variety.
While the couple continues to spearhead initiatives that help bring justice to the world and help to LGTBQ+ communities, they’ve partnered on more than just the Wade Family Foundation. The duo released a children’s book “Shady Baby” in honor of their daughter Kaavia James and co-founded a baby care brand called Proudly.
“We’re thrilled to present this award to Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade who together have consistently utilized their platforms to advance social justice and raise awareness to the inequalities existing in our country,” explained Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, to ESSENCE.
Some previous winners of the President’s Award include Rihanna, LeBron James, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, Jay-Z, Lauren Hill, Colin Powell and Muhammad Ali.
Queen Latifah is set to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, February 25, at 8:00 p.m. on BET.
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