Bruce Springsteen is the co-recipient of the ACLU's new biennial Ralph Ellison Award

July 28, 2026

Last Friday, Bruce Springsteen and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick were honored as the first recipients of The American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU's) new Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports. In officially announcing the award, which is presented biennially, ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero (pictured below presenting Springsteen with his award) said, "Bruce Springsteen and Colin Kaepernick epitomize talent with a purpose. Bruce Springsteen’s iconic songs like ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ date back decades, and so does his advocacy on behalf of civil rights and liberties. Colin Kaepernick’s activism off the field has changed lives for a decade, long after the backlash he received for speaking out against racial injustice. We are proud of the partnerships the ACLU has formed with Bruce and Colin, and we’re honored to recognize their lifetime achievements with one of the ACLU’s highest honors.”

The official announcement also detailed Springsteen's 2026 partnership with the ACLU: "In a rare move, earlier this year Springsteen authorized the ACLU's use of 'Born in the U.S.A.' for an ad campaign highlighting what’s at stake in the Supreme Court case involving birthright citizenship, Trump v. Barbara." Last April, ACLU National Legal Director Cecillia Wang successfully argued the case before the Court, which struck down President Trump's executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. The ACLU also was among the organizations supported publicly by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band at two shows on their 2026 Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour: in Newark, NJ and in Washington, DC.

The Ellison award is not Springsteen's first significant intersection with the life and work of Ralph Ellison, the great African-American writer and author of the essential classic Invisible Man. More than a quarter-century ago, Bruce participated in a Harvard course-leaders discussion organized by his friend and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Robert Coles (who died at 97 last month.) As reported in The New York Times, Springsteen read and discussed Ellison's Invisible Man with Coles and the course-leaders.

Upon the receipt of his award last Friday, Bruce gave a brief acceptance speech before performing a solo-acoustic version of "Streets of Minneapolis." As he did last month when he accepted this year's Harry Belafonte Social Justice Award at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, in his acceptance-speech he once again deflected attention from himself to "the folks and organizations that do the real work."

"I never really considered myself much of an activist," he continued. "At best, I’m a concerned citizen who plays guitar and says what’s on his mind... I will accept this award tonight for the folks who really deserve it, you know, as the citizens from all walks of life in Minnesota, Portland, in Los Angeles and New York... our other under-siege cities, who this year put their beliefs and their lives on the line in defense of the rights of their neighbors and in service of our American ideals."

Click below to view video of Bruce Springsteen's complete solo-acoustic performance of "Streets of Minneapolis" at The American Civil Liberties Union's 2026 Biennial Leadership Conference on Friday, July 24 in Washington, DC:

[All imagery via official ACLU social-media and Bruce Springsteen's official YouTube channel]