Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be hitting the red carpet as they receive the President’s Award for outstanding public service and notable achievement during the 53rd NAACP Image Awards.
The awards ceremony, which will take place at 8 p.m. on February 26, will be broadcast on BET.
“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 both in the U.S. and around the world,”In a statement, Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of NAACP, stated that he was honored to be included in the release.The Hollywood Reporter.
Johnson took note of Prince Harry and Meghan’s important contributions.
“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, ensuring the support and recognition of generations of civil rights leaders to come,”He stated.
Previous recipients of this special achievement include Jay-Z, Muhammad Ali, Rihanna, LeBron James and Jesse Jackson, ABC News reported.
As part of the evening’s lineup, the NAACP in collaboration with the couple’s global non-profit, Archewell Foundation, will introduce the newly established, “NAACP- Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award.”
The new award, which will be handed out annually, is designed to recognize those individuals who are leaders of transformational change in the progress of civil and human rights and to those who seek advancements in the social justice and technology space, People reported
In addition to the award, the honoree will be granted a $100,000 unrestricted stipend to be used to continue to make an impact in the world.
“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, which will be bestowed to Dr. Safiya Noble as part of the 53rd NAACP Image Awards,” Meghan and Harry said.
Dr. Safiya Noble is an internet studies scholar and professor of Gender Studies and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. She will be this year’s award recipient.
Noble, a MacArthur Fellow, is also the co-founder and faculty director of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry, which works with the Archewell Foundation.