Meghan Markle interviewed non-profit The 19th*’s co-founder and CEO, Emily Ramshaw today for a virtual summit hosted by the organisation. During the conversation she candidly discussed her experience of moving back to California in the midst of protests against police brutality and in support of Black Lives Matter.
"To come back and to just see the state of affairs, I think at the onset of it, if I’m being honest, it was just devastating," Meghan started. "It was so sad to see where our country was in that moment. And if there’s any silver lining in that, I would say that in the weeks that were happening after the murder of George Floyd, in the peaceful protests that you were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their role and acknowledging their role they were playing by either actively or passively participating in the discrimination of other people, specifically of the Black community, it shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration, because I can see that the tide is turning."
She added that she was glad to be home in the U.S. after living in Canada and England. And she's ready to work to advance the movement for racial justice. As a royal, Meghan wasn't able to speak out politically. Now, she can.
"From my standpoint, it’s not new to see this undercurrent of racism and certainly unconscious bias, but I think to see the changes that are being made right now is really—it's something that I look forward to being a part of,” Meghan said. "And being part of using my voice in a way that I haven’t been able to of late. So, yeah, it’s good to be home.”
She also stressed the importance of voting during her appearance. "When I have these conversations about encouraging people to go out and vote, I think it's often challenging for men and women alike and certainly for people to remember just how hard it was to get the right to vote," she said, via People. "And to be really aware and not taking that for granted. My husband for example—he's never been able to vote."
This is one of Meghan's first times speaking out about her experience moving home. She and Harry quietly moved to Montecito earlier this summer. Watch Meghan's full discussion below:
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
