On Wednesday night, Meghan Markle virtual delivery of a speech graduation address for the class of 2020 at his old school, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. She offered his encouragement and his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“You’re going to have empathy for those who do not see the world through the same lens that you do. You’re ready to go. We need you, and you are prepared.”
In a video shared exclusively with Essence magazinethe duchess opened her speech by saying, “What is happening in our country and in our state and in our hometown of los ANGELES has been absolutely devastating. I was not sure what I could say. I wanted to say the right thing, and I was very nervous that I could not, or would be picked up in addition,” Meghan admits. “I realized that the only bad thing to say is to not say anything, because George Floyd’s life mattered, and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered, and Philando Castilla’s life mattered, and Tamir Rice’s life mattered, and so did many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know.”
Meghan also shared her experiences growing up in Los Angeles during the Riots of los ANGELES, “I was 11 or 12 years of age, and was of the la Riots, which was also caused by a senseless act of racism [. . .] and those memories don’t go away.”
“I’m so sorry that you have to grow up in a world where this is still present,” Meghan’s powerful speech, he continued. “We are seeing people standing in solidarity, we are seeing communities come together and lift. You are going to be part of this movement,” she said, closing his speech to offer words of encouragement and optimism for the graduation of the class.
“With such a diverse, vibrant, and open-minded as I know that the teachings are in the Immaculate Heart of mary, I know that you know that the Black lives matter. You are going to use your voice in a way more strong than you have ever been able to because most of you are 18 or are turning 18 — so you’re going to vote. You’re going to have empathy for those who do not see the world through the same lens that you do. You’re ready to go. We need you, and you are prepared,” said Meghan.
Of the head to Essence the magazine to view Meghan’s full graduation speech.
