Prince Harry, Meghan to receive NAACP President’s Award

(NEW YORK) — Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are being recognized for their social justice work.

Ahead of the 53rd NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, the NAACP and BET announced the couple will receive the President’s Award, which is given to those who have dedicated their time to public service. Previous recipients include Muhammad Ali, LeBron James, Rihanna and Jay-Z.

“We’re thrilled to present this award to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who together have heeded the call to social justice and have joined the struggle for equity in the U.S. and around the world,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement.

This year at the NAACP awards, Harry and Meghan are also recognizing leaders who are creating change in technology and social justice with the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award.

“Not only do they continue to lead by example, the duke and duchess have also decided to inspire the next generation of activists through the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award,” Johnson added.

Archewell, the couple’s nonprofit foundation named after their son, Archie, was founded in 2020 shortly after they stepped back from their roles as senior members of the royal family and settled in Los Angeles.

Through Archewell, Harry and Meghan have helped a women’s shelter in Texas that was hit hard by deadly winter weather in February of last year, advocated for COVID-19 vaccine equity at Global Citizen Live in New York City and partnered with Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to build four community relief centers in regions across the globe disproportionately impacted by hunger.

This year’s inaugural NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award recipient will be given to Dr. Safiya Noble, an internet studies scholar and professor of gender studies and African American studies at UCLA — a pioneer in how digital technologies intersect with culture, race and gender.

“It’s a true honor to be recognized by President Derrick Johnson and the NAACP,” Prince Harry and Meghan said in a statement. “We’re proud to support the NAACP’s work and to also partner with the organization on the newly created annual NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award.”

The 53rd NAACP Awards will be broadcast live on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. ET on BET.