Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Be Awarded for Stance Against 'Structural Racism,' Says Kerry Kennedy

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are being honored for making a change.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to receive the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award next month, and Kerry Kennedy has explained why the human rights nonprofit chose the couple for the prestigious prize.

In an interview with Spanish online news site El Confidencial's Vanitatis magazine, Kerry said that Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, exemplified the "moral courage" against injustice that her father famously called for in his iconic Ripple of Hope speech at the University of Cape Town in South Africa over 50 years ago when apartheid reigned.

"When my father went to South Africa in 1966, he spoke in front of a white audience and said that the problem in this generation is talking about racial justice. He also spoke of moral courage, saying that few would have the courage to question their colleagues, family and their community about the power structure they maintained," Kerry told the Spanish magazine, per a translation. "And this is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done."

"They went to the oldest institution in U.K. history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn't have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health," she continued, referring to the British monarchy. "They knew that if they did this there would be consequences, that they would be ostracized, they would lose their family, their position within this structure, and that people would blame them for it. They have done it anyway because they believed they couldn't live with themselves if they didn't question this authority. I think they have been heroic in taking this step."

In October, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights announced that Harry and Meghan were this year's Ripple of Hope laureates for their work in racial justice, mental health and other social impact action through their Archewell Foundation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also receiving the Ripple of Hope Award for his courageous leadership amid the Russian invasion. Previous Ripple of Hope prizewinners include Dr. Anthony Fauci, Colin Kaepernick, Nancy Pelosi, former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden.

Harry and Meghan are expected to attend the annual Ripple of Hope Award Gala in New York City on Dec. 6. The event is being emceed by Alec Baldwin.

Kerry, 63, has previously emphasized Harry and Meghan's bravery in their historic decision to step back from their senior royal roles regarding their recognition with the Ripple of Hope Award.

"When The Duke and Duchess accepted our award laureate invitation back in March, we were thrilled. The couple has always stood out for their willingness to speak up and change the narrative on racial justice and mental health around the world," the author and attorney, who serves as president of her father's namesake human rights nonprofit, said in a statement last month.

"They embody the type of moral courage that my father once called the 'one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change," she added.

Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from their senior royal roles in March 2020, and later opened up about the racism they allegedly faced in a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey one year later. Most alarmingly, Meghan said that there were "concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he's born" voiced by a member of the royal family. Harry later said that neither the Queen nor Prince Philip made the comment.

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Immediately after, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth to address the issues raised during the Sussex's interview.

"The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," it said.

"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," it continued. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.

"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members."