Meghan Markle and Prince Harry just took home the NAACP President’s Award. A prominent critic of Markle’s questions if she really deserved it. Here’s what she had to say.
Telegraph Weighs In
The British press treats Markle ruthlessly. Evading its hounding reporters was a prime motivating factor for her and Harry to leave in the first place. The Sussexes have numerous outstanding lawsuits against various British outlets. Needless to say, there’s real animosity here.
One critic of note is Camilla Tominey, an associate editor for the Daily Telegraph. The conservative broadsheet is no fan of Markle’s. Tominey has penned a lengthy op-ed attacking Markle for receiving the NAACP President’s Award.
‘The Year That Wasn’t’
It’s been one year since Markle and Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey to air their grievances against the British monarchy. Tominey doesn’t see why the NAACP would choose to honor the Sussexes after a year of, well, nothing. She writes, “It is perhaps telling that apart from NAACP, it is unclear who else considers Harry and Meghan’s year to have been particularly prize-winning, despite their self-styled status as two of the world’s leading philanthropists.”
A Full Recap
What have they actually done? Tominey notes that the two welcomed their daughter, Lilibet Diana, and Markle wrote a bestselling children’s book. Despite an apparent lack of actual change, Markle and Harry were still named on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People.
The op-ed is a pretty detailed account of everything Markle and Harry have done this year: a lot of charitable press conferences and announcements that came with good intentions, but little results. As Harry and Markle live private lives in Santa Barbara, Tominey concludes they “certainly seem to be living a life less ordinary.”
What Should You Make Of This?
It’s no secret that if you promise someone an award, they’re pretty likely to show up. Historically, Tominey has selected her winners of the President’s Award very deliberately. She cites Muhammad Ali, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice in the op-ed. No winners from the last 10 years get mentioned.
Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Lebron James were the last three winners. They’re all known for deeds other than charity work. It is unknown how the NAACP chooses its winners, but it seems calculated to select the highest-profile person possible. It is hard to think of a much higher profile than Markle and Harry.
Could Harry and Markle have done more philanthropy in 2021? Probably. Did they do enough to earn this award? Well, the NAACP thought so and they’re the ones dolling it out. Leave it to the Telegraph to turn Markle’s wish for privacy into a problem.
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