Danny Glover, the film actor most known for his role opposite Mel Gibson in the "Lethal Weapon" films, was honored with the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Humanitarian Award for his decades of activism -- which began in his years at SF State during the 1968-69 student strike -- at the BET Awards held June 29.

Involved extensively in charitable causes and political/social issues, Glover is far from a self-absorbed movie star. The San Francisco native speaks out frequently against the war in Iraq, right-wing politics, racism in Hollywood and racial profiling. He has served as a fund-raiser and spokesman for the National Kidney Foundation due to his father's struggle with kidney disease. Since 1998, Glover has been the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program, focusing on poverty, disease and economic underdevelopment in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The recipient of the 2003 NAACP Chairman's Award, Glover also supported U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, for U.S. president and Sup. Tom Ammiano for San Francisco mayor last fall.

Glover, a political science major at SF State from 1967 to 1972, marched in campus demonstrations and was active in the student strike that drew international attention. The strike resulted in the expansion of the Black Studies Department and the establishment of the first College of Ethnic Studies in the United States.

During SFSU's Centennial celebration in 1999, Glover reflected on the strike.

"What I remember so vividly about the strike was not the fact the Ethnic Studies school was set up, but the incredible discourse and dialogue that happened between Asian American students and Latino students and black students and progressive white students," he said in an article in SFSU's Centennial magazine.

Glover's career as an actor is also quite accomplished. His roles have ranged from the action and comedy of the "Lethal Weapon" series and drama of "The Color Purple," "Beloved" and "Grand Canyon," to such children's fare as "Angels in the Outfield" and "Antz." He has won five NAACP Image Awards and earned four Emmy nominations, most notably for playing the title character in the 1987 television film "Mandela."

Honored by SF State on numerous occasions, Glover has accepted an honorary doctorate, President's Medal and induction into the Alumni Hall of Fame from his alma mater.

The fourth annual BET Awards was broadcast live from Los Angeles on BET. Comedienne Mo'Nique hosted the star-studded show, which featured performances by Janet Jackson, Usher, Outkast and more.

-- Matt Itelson