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“We know that ripples of hope can turn into waves of change,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said after being honored in New York for their work on racial justice and mental health.
Prince Harry and Meghan accepted the 2022 Ripples of Hope Award from the Robert Kennedy Human Rights Organization (RFKHR) in New York on Tuesday night.
According to organizers, the awards recognize “exemplary leaders in government, business, advocacy and entertainment who have demonstrated a strong commitment to social change and are committed to promoting equity, justice and human rights”.
The couple stopped briefly on the blue carpet to pose for photographers before entering the event. They did not stop to speak with the press or answer questions from reporters about their upcoming Netflix documentary series, which will be released on the streaming platform on Thursday.
During the festivities, the Sussexes announced a new collaboration between their own nonprofit and RFKHR.
“We are honored to receive the RFK Wave of Hope Award this year and to partner with the Kennedy family on the Archerwell Foundation Student Film Gender Equality Award,” the pair said in a statement. “We hope to inspire a new generation with this award.” Artistic leadership, giving diverse up-and-comers a platform to express their voices and tell their stories.
“The values of the RFK Foundation and The Archewell Foundation align with our shared belief that courage triumphs over fear and love conquers hate. Together we know that ripples of hope can become waves of change,” they added.
RFKHR President Kerry Kennedy said the organization chose to honor the couple because it was “proud of their work on racial justice and mental health equality and awareness” time to appear”.
She added: “If you look back at the past two years, hospitals, universities, government, even Hollywood have been trying to address racial justice issues, gender issues, sexual minorities issues, etc… I think it’s really great that they can get us started Discuss and normalize the discussion.”
Later in the evening, Prince Harry joked with the crowd during an on-stage question-and-answer session about how he thought the couple were keeping their kids at home for “date nights”.
“Honestly, Kerry, I really thought we were just having date night. So I thought it was weird that we were sharing a room with 1,500 people,” the Duke quipped in a clip provided by the party’s organizers.
“We rarely go out because our kids are small and young, so it was a complete surprise,” he added. “But happy to share date night with you all.”
As the audience laughed, Meghan chimed in: “Thank you for taking me through this very special date night.”
The annual gala, hosted by actor Alec Baldwin, also honored Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; Frank Baker, co-founder and managing partner of private equity firm Siris; Bank CEO Brian Moynihan; Invenergy founder and CEO Michael Polsky. NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell was also posthumously awarded.
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