After four decades of sectarian violence, we honored a Catholic and a Protestant who, though they had been bred to hate each other, found a way to overcome their prejudice for the sake of the future of their country. They came together on a basketball court and used a game to teach children in their country how to play together and live together. They did so at great personal risk but knowing that there was no hope for the future if they could not move on from the past.
Arthur Ashe Award
The Ashe Award is one of the most prestigious in sports. Recipients reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost. The award is inspired by the life that Ashe lived, using his fame and stature to advocate for human rights, although, at the time, those positions may have been unpopular and were often controversial. From speaking out against apartheid in South Africa to revealing to the world his struggle with AIDS, Ashe never backed away from a difficult issue, even though doing so would have been easier. Winners of the Ashe Award strive to carry on Ashe's legacy in their own lives - - inspired by those who do so each day.
