Harry and Meghan receive NAACP President’s Award—‘Our lives were brought together for a reason’

Harry and Meghan attended the NAACP Image Awards, where Harry honored his ‘incredible wife’ and ‘commitment to a lifetime of service’

Harry and Meghan at the NAACP Image Awards
(Image credit: Earl Gibson III/NAACP)
Jack Slater
By Jack Slater
published

Prince Harry praised his 'incredible wife' as the pair attended the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night. Taking place in California’s Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Harry and Meghan appeared at the glitzy event where they were honored with the President’s Award.

Harry and Meghan made an appearance at the star-studded NAACP Image Awards tonight, where the couple received the President's Award, "in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service."

Wearing stunning outfits created by black designers, the pair began their speech with a reflection of the Image Awards' legacy and a call for global support towards the people of Ukraine.

Meghan wore a sapphire-blue dress by Christopher John Rogers, which featured a knee-high slit and a baby-blue sash that extended to a train. Prince Harry wore a black tuxedo by Ozwald Boateng.

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Meghan started the speech by saying, “Thank you so much [NAACP] President [Derrick] Johnson for this incredible honor. It's inspiring to think about the legacy surrounding the Image Awards, which began shortly after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed into law... We are so deeply humbled to be here in the company of so many illustrious awardees.”

Harry followed Meghan by thanking the black community for embracing him. He said, “I also echo the immense gratitude for tonight, both for this award and to this community for welcoming me so warmly.”

He went on praise Meghan, saying “I think it's safe to say that I come from a very different background than my incredible wife. Yet our lives were brought together for a reason. We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to confront injustice, and a belief that the most often overlooked are the most important to listen to.”

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Ending the speech with a commitment to continue their work with their Archewell Foundation, Meghan said, “This is the era of the digital justice movement. We are proud to partner with 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.”

What is the NAACP?

The NAACP stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

It is a civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group of notable figures including W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey and Ida B. Wells.

In addition to Harry and Meghan, last night’s NAACP Image Award winners honored black excellence across different mediums.

Last night’s winners included Jennifer Hudson for Entertainer of the Year and Will Smith for Actor of the Year.

Jack Slater
Jack Slater
Freelance writer

Jack Slater is not the Last Action Hero, but that's what comes up first when you Google him. Preferring a much more sedentary life, Jack gets his thrills by covering news, entertainment, celebrity, film and culture for woman&home, and other digital publications.


Having written for various print and online publications—ranging from national syndicates to niche magazines—Jack has written about nearly everything there is to write about, covering LGBTQ+ news, celebrity features, TV and film scoops, reviewing the latest theatre shows lighting up London’s West End and the most pressing of SEO based stories.

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