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."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate brandingIn the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
