Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been 'quietly' educating themselves about Black Lives Matter by holding meetings with community leaders and people involved 'at every level', royal expert claims
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been 'quietly' having meetings with key people and organisations linked to the Black Lives Matter movement to 'educate' themselves.
The Duchess of Sussex broke her silence on the murder of George Floyd earlier this week, declaring that 'black lives matter', and revealed that she had not spoken about his death before because she had been 'nervous'.
Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on his neck in Minneapolis on May 25 for nine minutes.
Meghan, 38, gave an address to graduating pupils at her old school, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, where she also named other African Americans who were killed in the US by police in recent years.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been 'quietly' having meetings with key people and organisations linked to the Black Lives Matter movement to 'educate' themselves
According to a source, she and Harry, 35, have been having 'private conversations' with people 'on all levels' to ensure they are 'connected to the issues of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement'.
They told Harper's Bazaar's royal editor Omid Scobie: 'Harry and Meghan have been having private conversations with community leaders and people at every level, to ensure that they understand current events.
'This is something that is incredibly personal to Meghan, especially given everything she has experienced. And as a couple, it is, of course, very important. They are both feeling it, just like the rest of us.'
In her poignant six-minute virtual speech delivered to pupils at her former school, Meghan said: 'George Floyd's life mattered and Breonna Taylor's life mattered and Philando Castile's life mattered and Tamir Rice's life mattered.'
The Duchess of Sussex broke her silence on the murder of George Floyd earlier this week, declaring that 'black lives matter' and revealed that she had not spoken about his death before because she had been 'nervous'. Meghan, 38, gave an address to graduating pupils at her old school, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles (pictured)
The other three people Meghan mentioned were killed by US police over the past six years. Meghan also referred to Los Angeles as the family's 'home town' after moving there with Harry and their son Archie, one.
On speaking out about Mr Floyd, she said: 'I wasn't sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that it would get picked apart. And I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.'
The video was released to black women's lifestyle magazine Essence, which published it on its website saying 'courtesy of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex'.
The Duchess also said how the students are 'going to have empathy for those who don't see the world through the same lens that you do', adding: With as diverse, vibrant and opened minded as I know the teachings at Immaculate Heart are, I know you know that black lives matter.'
Meghan mentioned three other people who were killed by US police over the past six years during her speech to pupils at her old school. She also referred to Los Angeles as the family's 'home town' after moving there with Harry and their son Archie, one (pictured together in South Africa in September)
Meghan also referred to some advice she was given by a teacher aged 15, saying: 'I remember my teacher at the time, one of my teachers, Ms Pollia, said to me as I was leaving for a day of volunteering, "always remember to put other's needs above your own fears".
'And that has stuck with me throughout my entire life and I have thought about it more in the last week than ever before.'
Meghan was referring to her former theology teacher, Maria Pollia, who has previously described her as a 'remarkable student' who was 'very enthusiastic about the material, but always took it a step further'.
Meghan also spoke to the students about their futures, saying: 'You know that you're going to rebuild, rebuild and rebuilt until it is rebuilt.
Protests have taken place across America and beyond after white police officer Derek Chauvin (seen right) knelt on unarmed George Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds last week, despite Floyd's desperate repeated pleas for help crying, 'I can't breathe'. Floyd (left and right) passed out and later died
'Because when the foundation is broken, so are we. You are going to lead with love, you are going to lead with compassion, you are going to use your voice.'
Her speech left some Immaculate Heart students in tears, with one on Twitter with the user name 'blm • gia' saying: 'Meghan Markle talking about George Floyd and BLM in my virtual graduation. I'm crying.'
The Duchess has opened up in the past about how racism has affected her own family.
Meghan has previously described the experiences of both her mother and grandfather, and her own journey as a biracial woman.
The Duchess has opened up in the past about how racism has affected her own family. She is pictured as a young girl with her father Thomas Markle
The former Suits star became the first mixed-race person in modern history to marry a senior British royal, in 2018.
But Meghan and the Duke of Sussex quit as senior working royals in March to pursue personal and financial freedom in the US, after telling of their struggles dealing with their royal life and the intense media interest.
The American ex-actress recounted, before marrying into the Windsor family, how her grandfather told her as a child that he and his family stopped off at Kentucky Fried Chicken during a road trip, but had to go to the back of the restaurant for 'coloureds' and eat the chicken in the car park.
'That story still haunts me,' she wrote. 'It reminds me of how young our country is. How far we've come and how far we still have to come.'
An old clip of Meghan filmed as part of the 'I Won't Stand For...' campaign for non-profit organisation Erase the Hate, has come to light following the recent protests. In the video, Meghan shared her hope that society will become more 'open-minded'
Meghan, whose father Thomas Markle is Caucasian and mother Doria Ragland is African-American, wrote of her background: 'While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that.
'To say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman.'
In a piece for Elle Magazine in 2015, she said she witnessed her mother being called 'the n word' by another driver in Los Angeles and described the heartache it caused.
'My skin rushed with heat as I looked to my mom. Her eyes welling with hateful tears, I could only breathe out a whisper of words, so hushed they were barely audible: 'It's OK, Mommy',' she wrote.
Meghan also described how her great-great-great-grandfather went on to create his own identity when freed from slavery.
'Because in 1865 (which is so shatteringly recent), when slavery was abolished in the United States, former slaves had to choose a name. A surname, to be exact,' she wrote.
'Perhaps the closest thing to connecting me to my ever-complex family tree, my longing to know where I come from and the commonality that links me to my bloodline, is the choice that my great-great-great grandfather made to start anew.
'He chose the last name Wisdom.'
As a child, her father, from whom she is now estranged, created a Barbie family for Christmas when they were only sold in sets of white dolls or black dolls.
She wrote on her lifestyle blog how her new collection had 'a black mom doll, a white dad doll, and a child in each colour. My dad had taken the sets apart and customised my family.'
Earlier this week Scobie shared his own experience with racism in a candid post.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal biographer Omid Scobie revealed his experience with racism in a candid Twitter post this week
The British writer, who has co-written the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's upcoming biography Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family, took to Twitter amid the Black Lives Matter movement, to speak out against injustice.
Revealing that 'fear' has previously stopped him from speaking about his experiences relating to his mixed race heritage, Omid said recalled how he lost his first job in journalism after fighting back against a workplace incident.
Omid wrote: 'I see some asking why, in the past, I didn't always publicly speak up about racism or racial bias and the answer, quite honestly, is fear.
'My first job in journalism was also my first experience of racism in the workplace.
Revealing that 'fear' has previously stopped him from speaking about his experiences relating to his mixed race heritage, Omid said recalled how he lost his first job in journalism after fighting back against a workplace incident
'Worried that, as a 20-year-old mixed race guy, taking on an older white person of power would probably mean the end of my job, I sat on the incident for a few months before mustering up the courage to present the issue to HR.'
Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family is set to be released worldwide online on August 11, with the hard copy on sale from August 20
He continued: 'Unfortunately my complaint was met with poor excuses, a lack of empathy and me having to leave. I felt small, ashamed and convinced my journalism career was over before I'd even attended my university graduation ceremony.
'Of course, the racist in question had no such worries. They got a pay rise and continue to work in a prominent media role.'
Omid admitted: 'That incident knocked my confidence for some time (not just regarding my place in the industry but also about my own mixed race identity) and I did my best to work and stay below the radar to protect myself.'
The writer finished his brave revelation by saying that he 'realised the incident is small compared to the racist horrors many face', and added that he had shared it as an example of why the 'fight against racism needs to be led by the truly privileged.
He concluded by asking others with a platform to speak up, adding: 'There are far less risks for you when you do it. You are lucky enough to condemn racism with virtually no fear.'
At least 15,000 protesters have taken to the streets of London and cities across the world to march for black rights following the killing of George Floyd.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been 'quietly' educating themselves about Black Lives Matter by holding meetings with community leaders and people involved 'at every level', royal expert claims
![Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been 'quietly' educating themselves about Black Lives Matter by holding meetings with community leaders and people involved 'at every level', royal expert claims]()
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