CNN
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said ‘we know a wave of hope can turn into a wave of change’ after being honored in New York for their work on racial justice and mental health.
Prince Harry and Meghan were in the Big Apple to receive the 2022 Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Organization (RFKHR) on Tuesday evening.
According to organizers, the award honors “exemplary leaders in government, business, advocacy and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to advance equity, justice and human rights.” the man”.
The couple briefly stopped on the blue carpet to pose for photographers before heading to the event. They haven’t stopped to speak to the media or answer reporters’ questions about their upcoming Netflix docu-series, which is due to hit the streaming platform on Thursday.
At the gala, the Sussexes announced a new collaboration between their own non-profit organization and the RFKHR.
“We are honored to receive the RFK Ripple of Hope Award this year and to partner with the Kennedy family in establishing the Archewell Foundation Award for Gender Equity in Student Filmmaking,” the couple said in a statement. communicated. “Our hope with this award is to inspire a new generation of leadership in the arts, where diverse emerging talent has a platform to have their voices heard and their stories told.
“The values of the RFK Foundation and the Archewell Foundation are aligned with our shared belief of courage over fear and love over hate. Together, we know that a wave of hope can transform into a wave of change,” they added.
RFKHR President Kerry Kennedy said the organization chose to honor the couple because they were “proud of their work on racial justice and gender parity and mental health awareness” and for ” show up when people really need it”.
She added, “If you look over the last two years, hospitals, universities, governments, even Hollywood have all tackled issues of racial justice, gender, sexual minorities, etc… And I think that it’s really great that they got us to start talking and normalize this discussion.
Later during the gala, Prince Harry joked with the crowd during a Q&A about how he thought the couple left their children at home for a “date night”.
“To be honest with you, Kerry, I actually thought we were just going to hang out. So I thought it was kind of weird that we were sharing the room with 1,500 people,” the duke joked in a short clip provided by organizers of the gala.
“We don’t go out much because our kids are so small and young, so it’s completely unexpected,” he added. “But it’s nice to share an evening with all of you.”
As the audience laughed, Meghan chimed in: “Thank you for bringing me to this very special date night.”
Hosted by actor Alec Baldwin, the annual gala also honored Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; Frank Baker, co-founder and managing partner of private equity firm Siris; Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan; and Michael Polsky, founder and CEO of Invenergy. NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell was also honored posthumously.
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