LOS ANGELES

Samuel L. Jackson will receive the Chairman’s Award at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards this month.

The NAACP announced Thursday that it will present the 73-year-old actor with the award, which recognizes people who demonstrate “exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change.”

“Many may not know that prior to his acting career, Jackson was an outspoken activist in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, even serving as an usher at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.”, Leon W. Russell, chairman of the NAACP’s National Board of Directors, said in a statement, “His continued public service and advocacy for social change make him an excellent recipient of the President’s Award.”

Previous recipients have included then-Senator Tyler Perry. Barack Obama, Danny Glover, US Representative Maxine Waters and the late US Representative John Lewis.

Jackson, who has appeared in more than 100 films, is known for his portrayal of Jules in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” and as Gator Purify in Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever.” He starred in several other movies such as ‘Do the Right Thing’, ‘Unbreakable’, ‘Snakes on a Plane’ and several Marvel movies including ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Captain America: The Winter Solider’.

The Oscar-nominated actor expects to star in the Apple TV limited series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.” He will receive an honorary Academy Award at the next Governors Awards this year.

Scot X. Esdaile will receive the Activist of the Year award. He is the president of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP branches.

Prize winners will be revealed during a BET broadcast on February 26 at 8 p.m. ET.