The murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer has sparked a wave of anger and outrage in the United States. While many stars have raised their voices to denounce racism in the country, a video recorded by Meghan Markle in 2012 is being rediscovered. In it, she talked about her mixed race and the difficulties she had faced.
George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, died on Monday 25 May at a police checkpoint in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the video footage filmed by passers-by, a police officer is clearly seen holding the man down on the ground by force, one knee on his throat.
These are striking and revolting images that have set America ablaze, where demonstrations and riots have multiplied in recent days. Many stars have denounced the police violence and mingled with the crowd of anonymous people in the streets of Los Angeles.
While Meghan Markle did not speak out publicly on the subject, the PEOPLE website found a video of Prince Harry’s wife from 2012 in which she spoke about her own experience of racism.
Archie’s mother, who was an actress in the Suits series at the time, had participated in the “I won’t Stand For…” campaign for the Erase the Hate organization. “I’m biracial. Most people don’t know what my race is, and a lot of my life has been like trying to keep a low profile,” Meghan said. “Some of the very offensive insults or jokes I’ve heard just hit me really hard,” she added.
Daughter of a white man and a black woman, Meghan Markle also confided about the racism her mother Doria Ragland had faced. A few years ago, I heard someone call my mother the N (Nigger) word,” she said.
Since her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle has been the target of violent racist attacks. And if she hasn’t spoken out publicly about the George Floyd affair, no doubt she must be upset about it.
And her words spoken in 2012 now have a very sad resonance: “I’m really proud of my heritage on both sides, I’m really proud of where I come from. (…) When I see the state of our country today, and certainly of the world, I want things to get better.” Eight years later, it’s still a long way off.
“Silence is not an option”: the fight between Meghan Markle, Harry and the Queen…
After months of fighting, Queen Elizabeth and Sussex are now united in the fight against racism. In a strong message on Twitter, the trio denounced racism and demonstrated their commitment to equality.
Since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry relinquished a leading role in the Royal Family and moved across the Atlantic, ties with Queen Elizabeth have become significantly strained.
The couple have not seen the sovereign for several months and the Covid-19 pandemic has obviously made their reunion impossible. While Sussex and the Queen are at odds on many points and the last few months have been marked by tension, the two sides are now united in the same fight.
The death of George Floyd in the United States, killed by a white policeman during a stopover, has sparked a wave of outrage throughout the world. Demonstrations and speeches have increased in recent days and the British monarchy has joined the movement with a joint statement by Sussex and the Queen of England on the Commonwealth Trust’s Twitter account.
“We all have the power to effect positive change. It is time to speak up and raise our voices. Time to have difficult conversations with ourselves and others. Time to educate ourselves, and unlearn. Time to come together and build a better future, all together”, we read in this post published on June 1st.
A tweet illustrated by a quote from Martin Luther King that testifies to the universal significance of George Floyd’s death: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.
A message that the trio concluded with a very strong sentence: “Silence is no longer an option”. If Sussex and the Queen are separated by an ocean, they are proving with this tweet that they are able to overcome their disagreements to stand together when the situation demands it. According to the Daily Mail, they could end up in Balmoral in June. At last!
Photo credits : Backgrid USA / Bestimage
