Meghan Markle speaks out on George Floyd's death in emotional commencement speech

Meghan Markle has spoken out about the killing of George Floyd and other "senseless" acts of racism in an emotional message to graduating seniors.

The Duchess of Sussex this week remotely delivered a commencement speech to graduates of Los Angeles' Immaculate Heart High School, which she attended, and spoke on the "absolutely devastating" recent events amid the unrest over the death of Floyd in police custody. At the top, she noted that she was "really nervous" about saying the right thing.

"And I realized, the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing," Markle said. "Because George Floyd's life mattered, and Breonna Taylor's life mattered, and Philando Castile's life mattered, and Tamir Rice's life mattered."

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After recalling advice from her high school teacher to "always remember to put other's needs above your own fears," Markle told graduates she's "so sorry that you have to grow up in a world where this is still present." She went on to reflect on her memories of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which were similarly "triggered by a senseless act of racism."

"That's something that you should have an understanding of, but an understanding of as a history lesson, not as your reality," she said. "So I am sorry that, in a way, we have not gotten the world to the place that you deserve it to be."

She added, however, that she remembers the way "people came together" at that time, which is also the case now. Markle concluded by calling on graduates to help "rebuild" our "broken" foundation, adding, "I know you know that black lives matter." Watch her full address below. Brendan Morrow