Podcast 128 – Prince Harry & Meghan Markle honoured with NAACP President’s Award

Within hours of Russia invading Ukraine and on the same day that Meghan and Harry issued a statement to say that they and their Archewell team Stand with the People of Ukraine,  we heard some good news for Meghan and Harry. The couple are to be awarded the NAACP President’s Award during the 53rd annual Image Awards that will be televised on the BET channel on Saturday February 26th 2022.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans.  https://naacp.org/

Per the NAACP website, the organization is leading the fight  for Equity, for Equality and for Justice,  to ensure that Black lives are a priority in all spaces. The NAACP advocate on issues such as police brutality, COVID-19 and voter suppression. Their aim is to work to disrupt inequality, dismantle racism, and accelerate change in key areas including criminal justice, health care, education, climate change, and the economy.

In announcing that Meghan and Harry were receiving the President’s Award, Derrick Johnson the NAACP president and CEO said:  “We’re thrilled to present this award to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who together have heeded the call to social justice and have joined the struggle for equity both in the U.S. and around the world,”  adding:  “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.”

For their part Harry and Meghan gave a statement saying: “It’s a true honor to be recognized by President Derrick Johnson and the NAACP, whose efforts to propel racial justice and civil rights are as vital today as they were nearly 115 years ago."

It was also revealed that Meghan and Harry have partnered with NAACP to create a new Digital Civil Rights Award that will be awarded through their Archewell Foundation, with the prize being administered by the NAACP.  This new annual award will recognize leaders creating transformational change at the intersection of social justice and technology to advance civil and human rights. 

Each year, the honoree will be awarded a $100,000 unrestricted stipend to be used to advance new work, expand leadership and expertise or continue to make an impact in the field. The Digital Civil Rights Award’s inaugural recipient will be author and scholar Dr. Safiya Noble, who has pioneered the study of how digital technologies intersect with culture, race and gender.

Meghan and Harry have been working with the NAACP since they moved to California. 

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili.  Reach out to me through my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/ and on twitter https://twitter.com/JeanetteSongolo

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/