Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s American activism is already underway

After months of laying low in California (or at least trying to), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are amping up their activism.

This week, they stopped by Homeboy Industries, a non-profit that works to improve the lives of the formerly incarcerated in Los Angeles. In addition to services like legal assistance, addiction recovery support, and job support, they also offer employment opportunities through their own social enterprises, two of which are the Homeboy Bakery and Homegirl Café.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent their time in those cafes, chatting with workers and cooking some meals themselves, which would later be delivered to at-risk Los Angelenos. According to Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, it was a low-key visit: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were just Harry and Meghan to the homies. They rolled up their sleeves and deeply engaged with our workers.” (It likely helps that Markle has known Boyle for awhile—20 years ago, she attended one of his Homeboy cooking workshops with her mother, Doria Ragland, where they made tamales.)

This royal visit is, of course, an important one due to the issue it highlights: Recidivism rates in America are astronomically high. (In California alone, more than 65 per cent of released inmates return back to the system within three years.) Yet it also paints a picture of how Harry and Meghan may serve as activists—and what causes they will champion—in America.

First and foremost, their focus seems to be on the racial-justice movement. Since the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of the police, the couple has been speaking with community leaders and grassroots advocates to listen, learn, and figure out how they can be most impactful within the racial-justice movement. One of those leaders, Vogue has learned, is Boyle. Then there was Markle’s emotional speech about Black Lives Matter to graduating seniors at her alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School. So while no formal initiative has been announced, it’s clear that this couple is gearing up to take action—and ready to make this a signature cause.

Their formal non-profit organisation, Archewell, is still very much in the works. (Reports that their trademark was rejected is “misleading,” says a source close to the couple, noting that instead it “is moving forward with a request for clarification of terms and certain administrative items. This is very routine.”) Yet, with such an urgent cause at the forefront of American society, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are already seeking to make a more immediate impact.

This article originally appeared on Vogue.com

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