Howard Gayle, the first black footballer to play for Liverpool, has turned down an MBE nomination.
The 58-year-old, who made his Reds debut in 1977, said that accepting the accolade would be "a betrayal" to Africans who suffered at the hands of the British Empire.
Gayle wrote on Facebook: "Most of you who are on my FB page are aware of the work that I do tackling racism and the work I do for Show Racism A Red Card. And for that work yesterday I was nominated for a MBE.
"Which unfortunately I had to decline the nomination for the reason that my ancestors would be turning in their graves after how Empire and Colonialism had enslaved them.
"This is a decision that I have had to make and there will be others who may feel different and would enjoy the attraction of being a Member of the British Empire and those 3 letters after their name, but I feel that It would be a betrayal to all of the Africans who have lost their lives, or who have suffered as a result of Empire."
The Cabinet Office said that it did not comment on individual cases.
