Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Will Be Honored at the NAACP Image Awards for Their Social Justice Work
They will receive an award previously given to Rihanna and LeBron James.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have set off on many ventures since leaving their roles as senior royals—including championing many causes close to their hearts.
Now, their social justice work is being recognized in a big way, as they prepare to receive the President's Award at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 26. The Sussexes have also created the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award to honor leaders utilizing technology to advance social justice, whose winner has yet to be announced.
The awards take place over several days, and many winners have already been named, including Saweetie for Best New Artist, Jazmine Sullivan for Outstanding Female Artist and Anthony Hamilton for Outstanding Male Artist.
"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," the president and CEO of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, said in a statement (via ABC News).
"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," the statement continued.
The President's Award has previously gone to huge names, including LeBron James, Rihanna, Jay-Z and John Legend. Ella Fitzgerald was its first recipient in 1987.
In response, the Sussexes stated, "It's a true honor to be recognized by President Derrick Johnson and the NAACP. 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 ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.
The royal couple has advocated for (and donated to) diverse causes, such as vaccine equality, female education, safety from domestic violence and many more. They do much of their philanthropic work through their foundation, Archewell.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.