Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been honored by the NAACP with a very special award, People reports.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared on stage to accept the President's Award at Saturday night's NAACP Image Awards, joining the ranks of past recipients who include Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, LeBron James, and Rihanna.
Given in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service, the President's Award was bestowed on Harry and Meghan for the work they have done through their Archewell Foundation.
The organization was launched in 2020 and has been used by the couple to support the fight against Covid-19 and help the Black Lives Matter movement advocate for racial justice.
Both Meghan and Harry took the stage in ensembles by Black designers - Meghan in a Christopher John Rogers blue gown and her husband in an Ozwalk Boateng tux.
In their acceptance speech, Harry took the opportunity to thank the Black community for welcoming him, while Meghan spoke about the legacy of the awards.
"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," she said, adding: "Today, we can continue that legacy."
She went on to say, "we are so deeply humbled to be here in the company of so many illustrious awardees," before touching on the murder of George Floyd and how it had inspired her and Harry to become involved in the civil rights community.
"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," she said, adding: "I couldn't be prouder that we're doing this work together"
Meanwhile, Harry drew audiences' attention to the crisis in Ukraine, saying: "We would like to acknowledge the people of Ukraine, who urgently need our continued support as a global community."
The Prince then spoke about how he and his wife - despite coming from different backgrounds - 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."
Towards the end of their speech, the couple announced that they had teamed up with the NAACP to launch a new annual award - the NAACP Archwell Digital Rights Award, which will recognize those at advancing civil and human rights through innovating technology.
"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," Meghan said of the award.