Meghan Markle's Spokesperson Discussed Her Vital Black Lives Matter Speech

Meghan felt "compelled" to speak up.

meghan markle black lives matter george floyd breonna taylor philando castile tamir rice stephon clark
(Image credit: Chris Jackson)
Emily Dixon
By Emily Dixon
published
  • In a video released Thursday, Meghan Markle gave a vital speech about the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Stephon Clark, and other Black people by police.
  • A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said she felt "compelled" to speak up about George Floyd's murder "as well as what’s been happening over many, many years and many, many generations to countless other Black Americans."
  • "This is something incredibly personal to Meghan, especially given everything she has experienced," the spokesperson said.

Meghan Markle's spokesperson discussed the moving speech she delivered to the graduating class of her former high school, in which she condemned the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Stephon Clark, and other Black people by police and urged the new graduates of Immaculate Heart High School to take action against anti-Black racism.

"I wasn’t sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing, and I was realIy nervous that I wouldn’t or that it would get picked apart," Meghan said, as reported by Essence. "And I realized the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing, because 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 did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know. Stephon Clarke, his life mattered."

Speaking to royal correspondent Omid Scobie, a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said that she "felt compelled to directly address what’s happening in this country right now around the killing of George Floyd as well as what’s been happening over many, many years and many, many generations to countless other Black Americans."

"This is something incredibly personal to Meghan, especially given everything she has experienced," the spokesperson continued, before indicating that Prince Harry shares his wife's stance. "And as a couple it is, of course, very important. They are both feeling it, just like the rest of us." 

Black Lives Matter

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Emily Dixon
Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.

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