Megan Markle and her husband, Harry, have taken over the news media. After their March 7th interview with Oprah, they are all that’s been talked about. Whether it be gasping in shock, or eyebrows raised, they are everything in America and Britain.
In their exclusive Oprah interview, the couple mentioned the royal family’s racist remarks, views, and comments. They said while Meghan was pregnant with their first child, a few relatives were “concerned” about Archie’s skin color. They made offhand scoffs at Meghan’s skinand her mental health crisis. The duke and duchess experienced blatant racism from those they considered family
Despite the interview, many people (British and American people alike) wonder why? Why should we care about all this with a pandemic raging? With jobs lost, homelessness climbing, food banks squeezing? Why should we care about something as inconsequential as royal racism? Most POC don’t get their experiences out to the news, let alone take it by storm, so why should we treat Meghan’s any differently?
Here’s the reason:
Racism is racism no matter where it comes from. Whether it be in the grocery store, or in a palace, racism is a big issue on this planet. We can’t tell the story of every incident, of every case, but we can and will tell as many as we can. Using Meghan as an example, as a story, just goes to show it can happen to anyone, no matter your position of power.
Racism has infiltrated the Britain monarchy. There are racist royals running amok. There is racism in one of the most powerful families out there. The family that has access to millions of dollars, and family jewels. They have a lot of celebrity influence and royal influence. With all that money, power, and influence, just think of what they can say and do to POC.
Everyone makes mistakes, but when in a position of power, those mistakes can be catastrophic. How many POC have they already hurt? How many will they continue to hurt? And if it wasn’t the royals themselves, have they allowed racism to flow freely in Buckingham?
People idolize those royals. The influence they have on British and American citizens is great and heavy. If they promote racism, it’s more than likely British and American will follow suit, seeing racism as a trend. If racism is okay in Buckingham, then it’s okay in the supermarket! If it happens in Sussex, it can happen in a restaurant. This negatively impacts American and British POC, for reasons beyond trend. More racist people equals more hate crimes. More fear and violence. More bloodshed for colored communities. More distrust on both sides.
Asians are being killed because of “kung-flu” lies. Hispanics being hated and targeted as border concerns heat up. Blacks being scared of the officers who are supposed to save them. Old people pushed down and injured because of skin tone.
Tensions are already boiling in this melting pot called America. Throw in a little British drama, and it escalates. It is not the POC that’s the problem, it’s the deep-rooted, unnecessary hate of skin that fuels the fire.
The racist royals are showing it is okay to say and think such things. They are blaming Meghan, saying she was a bully, when there are allegations of them being the bullies. They are continuing to push that it was ‘just one time’ and they ‘didn’t mean it’. They are letting the world see the world they will not crumble. And this doesn’t come across as a sign of strength, it comes across as a cover-up.
Whether or not you care about Meghan and Harry, you should note that racist royals are an important matter. We are not being told the story of British POC. We are not told what they’ve lived through, what they’ve been told, what they have suffered through, what they have experienced. Listening to Harry and Meghan gives us insight into what those POC have lived through. It’s our way of learning about the royals, and the POC citizens, and how to fight for them.
Meghan and Harry’s interview has reminded us that racism exists, on a global scale, and we need to fight it now.
Comentarios