Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Surprise NAACP-Archewell Foundation Award Recipient: ‘Y’all Got Me Good’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched the annual award in 2022 to honor those making transformational change in the digital world

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had a surprise in store.

On Thursday, the Archewell Foundation announced that Dr. Joy Buolamwini was the 2024 winner of the NAACP – Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award for her advocacy and research to overcome racist and sexist biases in artificial intelligence.

In a video shared on the Archewell Foundation website, Meghan, 42, and Prince Harry, 39, personally delivered the news to Buolamwini.

“You won!” Meghan told her before congratulating her with a hug. Prince Harry then also warmly embraced Buolamwini.

Buolamwini said in the video, “Y’all got me good.”
The meet-up appeared to have taken place at the SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, where Meghan joined a panel called “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen” on Friday alongside Katie Couric, Brooke Shields and author and sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen. In addition to Meghan wearing the same outfit as she did during the panel, Buolamwini is seen in the video holding a SXSW lanyard.

Related: Meghan Markle Returns to Instagram! The Duchess of Sussex Launches Surprise New Venture

After discovering that face detection software didn’t register her — but did pick up when she put on a white mask — Buolamwini founded the Algorithmic Justice League. She also authored the book Unmasking AI, where she examines the social implications of technology and discusses the movement to prevent AI harm.

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to join such an illustrious group of receipts for the Digital Civil Rights Award from the NAACP and The Archewell Foundation,” said Buolamwini in a statement. “With the rapid proliferation of AI, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that these algorithms acting as gatekeepers serve us all and do not impede on the civil rights of marginalized communities. This award will help the Algorithmic Justice League continue our work to prevent AI harms, connect the excoded to resources and raise awareness about AI’s impact on society through our advocacy, art and research.”

Last year, the prize went to Nabiha Syed, the CEO of The Markup, a nonprofit news publication focused on the impact of technology on society.

In 2022, Prince Harry and Meghan appeared on stage at the NAACP Image Awards to share the first NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award to Dr. Safiya Noble, cofounder of the UCLA center for critical internet inquiry, a renowned scholar, author and advocate.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also accepted the President’s Award in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. Past recipients of the honor include Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, LeBron James and Rihanna. Through their Archewell Foundation, Harry and Meghan have supported efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and focused their attention on the Black Lives Matter movement and fighting for racial justice.

During the couple’s speech, Harry thanked the Black community for “welcoming me so warmly,” while Meghan, who brought her mom Doria Ragland to the awards show, said she “couldn’t be prouder.”

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Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Bob Marley: One Love premiere in Jamaica on Jan. 23, 2024
Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Bob Marley: One Love premiere in Jamaica on Jan. 23, 2024 © Provided by People
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Karwai Tang/WireImage Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Invictus Games countdown event in Canada on Feb. 14, 2024
Karwai Tang/WireImage Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Invictus Games countdown event in Canada on Feb. 14, 2024 © Provided by People
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Astrida Valigorsky/Getty; SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at SXSW on March 8, 2024
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty; SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at SXSW on March 8, 2024 © Provided by People
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Mathew Knowles Pens Heartfelt Note to Granddaughter Blue Ivy: ‘You Are a Force to Be Reckoned With’

Beyoncé just confirmed that the title of her forthcoming country album is Cowboy Carter, but she’s not the only noteworthy Carter in town. Earlier this week, Mathew Knowles – former manager of Destiny’s Child and father of Beyoncé – penned a heartfelt note to his granddaughter Blue Ivy Carter.

“I remember coming back stage in London to the Renaissance concert and asking about you,” Knowles began. “Beyoncé replied ‘she is there rehearsing’ and then I understood why because one of your friends had commented negatively about your first performance on the tour. In that moment I was so proud that you wanted to put in the work to get better.⁠”

During her mother’s record-breaking Renaissance World Tour – which she launched in support of her four-time Grammy-winning Billboard 200-topping LP of the same name – Blue Ivy performed as a backup dancer. After her first appearance at the trek’s Paris stop, the Grammy winner worked to improve her performance and danced along to “My Power” and “Black Parade” at nearly every stop on the tour’s North American leg.
“I want to take a moment to appreciate the amazing determination and willingness to learn that you displayed,” Blue Ivy’s granddad continued. “Your excitement for life and your eagerness to soak up knowledge and new experiences is truly inspiring. You have already shown the world that you are a force to be reckoned with, and I have no doubt that one day you will continue to astound us all.⁠”

Fans bore witness to Blue Ivy’s progression throughout the tour, but her evolution was most poignantly captured in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé – a box-office-topping documentary concert film that chronicled the making of Beyoncé’s historic tour. In the film, Beyoncé recounts initially not wanting Blue to dance onstage with her, but eventually giving in once she saw how hardworking and determined her daughter was to improve her performance with each subsequent show. Blue was quite the presence behind the scenes on tour, even pleading the case for Queen Bey’s 2009 hit “Diva” to remain on the setlist in a heavily memed moment in the film.

In the rest of his lengthy note, which served as the caption to a fierce picture of Blue performing at the Renaissance World Tour, Knowles praised her “extraordinary Knowles spirit” and stressed that he wanted her “to never be afraid of exploring new opportunities,” whether she remains in the arts like her parents or ventures into “science, business, or any other field.” “Your journey is just beginning, and I have no doubt that you will leave [a] lasting mark on the world,” he concluded. “Chase your dreams, follow your heart, and always believe in the extraordinary potential that lies within you.”

Before she won the world’s hearts on the Renaissance World Tour, Blue Ivy was already making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She is the youngest person to appear on any Billboard chart – Jay-Z‘s “Glory,” on which she’s credited as B.I.C., peaked at No. 23 on Hot Rap Songs in 2012 – and she picked up a best music video Grammy for “Brown Skin Girl” alongside Wizkid, SAINt JHN and, of course, Beyoncé. “Brown Skin Girl,” which appears on Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift compilation soundtrack, also earned Blue Ivy honors at the BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and NAACP Image Awards. In 2021, she won the best voiceover – children’s audiobook award at the Voice Arts Awards for her narration of Hair Love, an adaptation of Matthew A. Cherry’s Oscar-winning animated short.

Read Mathew Knowles’ full message to Blue Ivy Carter below:

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Mathew Knowles Pens Heartfelt Note to Granddaughter Blue Ivy: ‘You Are a Force to Be Reckoned With’
Mathew Knowles Pens Heartfelt Note to Granddaughter Blue Ivy: ‘You Are a Force to Be Reckoned With’ © Provided by Billboard
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