NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award

Supporting and uplifting unsung visionaries working to expand equity in the online world.

About the Program

A key part of our strategy at The Archewell Foundation is to highlight and uplift those who are transforming the digital world for the better to bring them further resource and scale. In 2022, The Archewell Foundation teamed up with the NAACP to launch an award that invests in and celebrates the people and organizations at the forefront of the civil rights movement online, creating the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award. The award celebrates a new generation of leaders who are creating transformational change at the intersection of social justice and technology — working to advance civil and human rights.

2022 Winner: The inaugural award was given to Safiya Noble for her leadership and innovation in her approach to creating a digital ecosystem that contributes to a more inclusive and equitable society. Safiya is currently the Director of the Center on Race & Digital Justice and Co-Director of the Minderoo Initiative on Tech & Power at the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2). 

2023 Winner: In 2023, this award was given to Nabiha Syed, Chief Executive Officer of The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates how powerful institutions use technology to change our society. Their data-driven approach has produced reporting on topics including hidden racial bias in mortgage approval algorithms, the security of health information for vulnerable populations, and inequities in internet access.