Meghan 'devastated' at America's state of affairs after George Floyd's death but is hopeful of 'silver lining'
Meghan has spoken out after her return to the United States and has reportedly claimed that she is "devastated" by the current state of affairs. However, she also talked about the silver lining that she has found in the wake of current events and the hope that it has inspired in her.
In a virtual interview with The 19th, Meghan said, "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." The Duchess of Sussex is also looking forward to using her voice "in a way I haven’t been able to of late."
The interview is one of the first she has made since her return to the United States in March with her husband, Prince Harry. Harry himself has talked about racism in an interview with Color of Change on August 8, in which he called for "every single person on the planet" to help combat the global problem. "As we’ve discussed before, it is going to take every single one of us, this is not down to the black community, it’s going to take every single person on the planet right now," he said.
Speaking with The 19th's co-founder, Emily Ramshaw, Meghan talked about the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. "It was so sad to see where our country was in that moment," Meghan said of her homecoming. "If there's any silver lining in that I would say it was in the weeks that were happening after the murder of George Floyd, in the peaceful protests you were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their role and acknowledging the role that they played, either actively or passively, in the discrimination of other people, specifically of the black community."
She said that the response to the deaths and the protests that arose afterward helped shift her feelings into ones that were more positive and forward-looking. "It shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration because I can see that the tide is turning," she said.
Meghan also had high words of praise for The 19th itself, a self-proclaimed nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom and its launch during the current times. "You just took that jump and you took that leap of faith. And I think there's so much we can all learn from that, that in those moments where it might feel scary, you just need to trust your gut," she said.
She also talked about the change that was coming, and how it was more important than ever that people vote. "People are craving a change," she said. "In the place we're all in right now, there’s such a moment where people are starting to question the systems we’ve always believed in." You can catch the entire interview with The 19th on their website.