Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have attended their first major American award show. The couple shined in their appearance at the NAACP Image Awards on February 26, where the two accepted the President's Award in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.
Both Harry and Meghan wore Black designers for the special event. Harry's tuxedo was designed by Ozwald Boateng, while Meghan's beautiful blue one-shoulder gown was the work of Christopher John Rogers.
During the speech, both Harry and Meghan spoke, with Harry making a point of thanking the Black community for being so welcoming to him.
"It's inspiring to think about the legacy of the Image Awards, which began shortly after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed into law," Meghan began the couple's acceptance speech.
"Today, we can continue that legacy by reestablishing federal voting protections in our country and fulfilling the work of civil rights giants, like the late John Lewis."
"We are so deeply humbled to be here in the company of so many illustrious awardees," Harry began, before pausing to recognize the current crisis in Ukraine, noting the people "urgently need our continued support as a global community."
"I also echo the immense gratitude for tonight, both for this award and this community for welcoming me so warmly," Harry continued. "I think it's safe to say that I come from a very different background from my incredible wife, yet our lives were brought together for a reason.
"We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to combat injustice, and a belief that the most often overlooked are the most important to listen to."
"And I couldn’t be prouder that we're doing this work together," Meghan picked up.
"We moved to California, my home state, shortly before the murder of George Floyd. For Black America, those nine minutes and 29 seconds transcended time, invoking centuries of our unhealed wounds. In the months that followed, as my husband and I spoke with the civil rights community, we committed ourselves and our organization, Archewell, to illuminating those who are advancing racial justice and progress."
The couple went on to thank Dr. Safiya Noble — scholar, author, and advocate and the cofounder of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry — hailing her as a "visionary" member of the Archewell team.
"This is the era of the digital justice movement," Meghan said.
"We are proud to partner with [the] NAACP and each of you to translate the vital efforts of those who came before us to the modern challenges that exist ahead of us. Thank you so much for joining us in this work, and thank you again for this incredible honor. Truly," Meghan continued.
"My mom's here with us tonight, and we all feel very proud. Thank you."
Harry and Meghan have made only a handful of public appearances since their 2020 move to California. They spend a lot of time working from home and raising their two children, 2-year-old Archie and 8-month-old Lili.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
