It has been a decade since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem to protest against police brutality and racial inequality. To honor the occasion, his wife, Nessa, shared an Instagram carousel of short videos outlining Colin’s NFL journey, the protest, all the criticism that followed, and his recent speech at the ACLU.

Along with a heartfelt caption under the post, she also shared a powerful statement that was originally posted on Colin’s Know Your Rights Camp’s Instagram page:

“08.14.2016 was the first day @kaepernick7 sat peacefully to protest against police violence & systemic racism,” the caption read. “His heroic and selfless action cost him the career he loved in the NFL. He was blackballed, demonized, and ridiculed for challenging injustice, but he never stopped fighting for the people.

“Then years later, Colin Kaepernick remains unwavering in his fight for the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities. He STILL remains committed to the work. And… WE remain committed to standing with him. Thank you Kap!!!!!”

It’s not just Nessa who is celebrating Kaepernick’s legacy with this post, though. In lieu of a decade of his protest, Kaepernick himself has recently announced a nationwide tour for his book, The Perilous Fight, which goes on sale this September 15th. His tour kicks off on 14th September at the Brooklyn Public Library and ends on 28th October in Houston, with nine other stops in between. Beyond this, he has also been awarded a high honor for his contributions as a civil rights activist.

Back in July, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) named him one of the first honorees for the Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports. Even when that honor was announced, Nessa had penned a powerful message for him.

“Colin, you sacrificed so much because you believed this country could be a better place,” Nessa wrote at the time. “I’ve realized that no matter how cruelly you’ve been treated because you peacefully protested police violence, God always finds a way to protect and bless you.

“I’ve learned so much from you. What I’ll never fully understand is how you’ve managed to keep such a kind heart and continue pouring into millions of people, even after so many people have turned on you. Colin, you’ll forever be on the right side of history.”

Colin Kaepernick was the quarterback who once set a record for the most rushing yards by a QB in a game (181). He set the same record again in a postseason as well (264). But that hasn’t been his identity for quite a while now. Football, for Kaepernick, was the stage that allowed him to make a difference – something that is being honored a decade after the fact. That quarterback who once took a knee on the sideline has long since metamorphosed into an American Civil Rights Activist.