LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan -- the Duke and Duchess of Sussex -- announced Thursday that their new nonprofit Archewell Foundation will establish a fund for the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry research center, which champions racial and economic justice in the tech sector.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are deeply committed to using their light to illuminate the problems of inequality and structural racism," said Dr. Safiya U. Noble, co-director of the center. "We have a shared commitment and sense of urgency in making a more compassionate world, much of which is undermined by internet platforms. I know what they stand for and share in their mission. We look forward to lending our research expertise and networks to our mutual work on the most pressing issues of Internet policy and culture that are accelerating racial, gender, and economic inequity."
The Archewell Foundation was founded this year by the duke and duchess, who recently set up a new home in Montecito in Santa Barbara County. Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, stepped down as senior royals earlier this year, moving to California with their infant son, Archie.
The philanthropic foundation is focused on such issues as community well-being, online bullying, hate speech on social media and tech addiction. The duke and duchess previously announced partnerships with Netflix and Spotify.
The couple noted their appreciation for Noble, author of "Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism," which looks at how negative biases against women of color are embedded in search engine results and algorithms.
"From the moment we started reading `Algorithms of Oppression,' we had a deep appreciation and respect for Dr. Safiya Noble and her critical work," the duke and duchess said in a joint statement. "That respect has only grown throughout the year as we collaborated. We have a common mission -- rooted in justice, compassion and improving the state of the digital world -- and we're proud to call the Center for Critical Internet Inquiry an Archewell Foundation partner."
The Critical Internet Inquiry center is an interdisciplinary research effort focused on addressing the role of the Internet in undermining democracy, civil and human rights. The center advocates for more equitable and socially- just Internet policies and practices.
