Meghan Markle Addressing Her Experiences With Racism Resurfaces in Pre-Royal Video
As Americans mourn the loss of George Floyd, awareness for Black Lives Matters is escalating. In a [...]
As Americans mourn the loss of George Floyd, awareness for Black Lives Matters is escalating. In a resurfaced video from 2012, former Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle is seen discussing her personal experiences with racism for a campaign, according to Harpers Bazaar. Seen wearing a t-shirt that reads, "I won't stand for racism," the bi-racial royal's message still stands boldly today.
"My name's Meghan Markle and I'm here because I think it's a really important campaign to be a part of," she started her lengthy statement. "For me, I think it hits a really personal note. I'm bi-racial, most people can't tell what I'm mixed with and so much of my life has felt like being a fly on the wall. And so some of the slurs that I've heard or the really offensive jokes, or the names, it's just hit me in a really strong way. And then, you know, a couple of years ago I heard someone call my mom the N-word. So I think for me, beyond being personally affected by racism, just to see the landscape of what our country is like right now, and certainly the world, and to want things to be better."
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She continued to highlight that race is what makes our world a beautiful place, saying, "Quite honestly, your race is part of what defines you. I think what shifts things is that the world really treats you based on how you look. Certain people don't look at me and see me as a black woman or a biracial woman. They treat me differently, I think than they would if they knew what I was mixed with, and I think that that is — I don't know, it can be a struggle as much as it can be a good thing depending on the people that you're dealing with."
She went on to say that when she moved from her home of Los Angeles, California, it was a shock to see that there was still so much racism in the world outside of her bubble in which she lived in. She thought the days in which her grandparents lived in were in the past but was quickly reminded that that is not the case.
"I am really proud of my heritage on both sides; I'm really proud of where I've come from and where I'm going. But yeah, I hope that by the time I have children, that people are even more open-minded to how things are changing and that having a mixed world is what it's all about. I mean certainly, it makes it a lot more beautiful and a lot more interesting," she concluded. At the time, little did Markle know that she would make history marrying into the British Royal Family to become the wife of Prince Harry.