After keeping silent about George Floyd’s death, Meghan Markle confided all her anger. The former actress recalled the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which broke out after four white police officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King.
Her belated reaction was a talking point. It is however with a true sincerity that Meghan Markle gave herself up on June 3 on the events which affect the United States. Currently confined in Los Angeles with Prince Harry and their son Archie, the Duchess of Sussex expressed her deep sadness.
On May 25, George Floyd, an African-American, died asphyxiated during a police stop in Minneapolis. Since then, riots have erupted in the country and protests are taking place around the world.
In a video for future graduates of Immaculate Heart High School, his former school, Prince Harry’s wife said she was “devastated” and called on the students to go out and vote, the only way, she said, to fight racism.
The young mother, the daughter of a white man and a black woman, also went further. She recounted her experience during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles. “I was 11 or 12 years old at the time of those riots that were started by a racist act (…) I remember the curfew and I remember rushing home and on the way home I saw ashes falling from the sky.
I smelled smoke and saw flames coming out of the buildings. I saw people coming out of the buildings with bags, after looting them,” says Markle. As a reminder, the Duchess of Sussex is a native of the City of Angels and has lived there for most of her life.
The Los Angeles riots: a traumatic experience
“I remember seeing men in the back of a van holding guns and rifles. I remember going all the way back to the house and having this tree, which had always been there, completely charred,” she says, before adding, “Those memories don’t go away.”
A major event in recent American history, the 1992 riots were sparked by the acquittal of four white police officers accused of beating up a black American motorist, Rodney King. Six days of violence followed, involving hundreds of Los Angeles residents.
Lootings, street fights, destruction of buildings… the city of Los Angeles burst into flames after this umpteenth injustice to the African-American community.
But Meghan Markle also had a moving memory of this painful experience, seeing people “all together” united against hatred. “And we see that today as well. We see it with the sheriff in Michigan or the police in Virginia. ” We see people standing together in solidarity, communities together. And you will be part of that movement,” she concluded.
“Devastated” by George Floyd’s death: But why she didn’t speak up sooner?
After keeping silent for a long time about George Floyd’s death during an arraignment, Meghan Markle confided all her anger. The former actress delivered a very touching and personal message.
On Monday, May 25, George Floyd, an African-American man, died asphyxiated during an arraignment in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States.
In the video of the tragedy, a white police officer can be seen putting his knee on the victim’s throat. Since then, demonstrations and riots against racism and police violence have been taking place around the world. On social networks, the stars have also expressed their sadness and misunderstanding.
Meghan Markle, for her part, has remained silent. Then Prince Harry’s wife finally spoke in a video. She reiterated her commitment against all forms of racism and said she was “devastated”.
Meghan Markle refers not only to this death but also to those of other victims. “George Floyd’s life mattered and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered and Philando Castile’s life mattered and Tamir Rice’s life mattered and so many other people whose names we know and whose names we don’t know”.
Accused of having kept silent for too long, Meghan Markle then justifies herself: “I wasn’t sure what I could tell you. I wanted to find the right words … And I realized that the only bad thing to say is to say nothing.
The former Suits star also remembered experiencing the 1992 Los Angeles riots after Rodney King was beaten. “I was 11 or 12 years old at the time of those riots that were started by a racist act … I remember the curfew and I remember rushing home and on the way home I saw ashes falling from the sky, I smelled smoke … I remember seeing men in the back of a van holding guns,” she said of those “memories that don’t go away.
“I’m really proud of my heritage.”
Since Meghan Markle, the daughter of a white man and a black woman, has been fighting racism endlessly, having herself been a victim. The PEOPLE website recently found a video of Prince Harry’s wife from 2012 in which she spoke about her own experience of racism.
The woman who had participated in the “I won’t Stand For…” campaign for Erase the Hate explained: “I am biracial. Most people don’t know what my racial mix is, and for much of my life I’ve been trying to keep a low profile,” Meghan explained. “Some of the insults or some of the very offensive jokes I heard just hit me really hard.
Today, Meghan Markle is proud of who she is: “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 the state of the world, I want to make things better,” she said.
Photo credits: Backgrid UK/ Bestimage
