Meghan Markle just gave students the surprise of their lives.
This past Wednesday night, she made a virtual appearance to the graduation of Immaculate Heart High School, her alma mater.
While doing so, she offered the students words of wisdom and hope. The royal also spoke about the Black Lives Matter movement, namely what happened to George Floyd.
When Meghan Markle agreed to give a commencement speech at her alma mater she had a few topics in mind:
Things like congratulating the all-female students on graduating and even sharing personal stories from her own time at Immaculate Heart High School.
But with the recent killing of George Floyd, she felt compelled to speak up.
A source close to the star confirmed this to Harper’s Bazaar .
“She felt compelled to directly address and speak to these young women about what’s happening in this country right now around the killing of George Floyd,” they said.
“As well as what’s been happening over many, many years and many, many generations to countless other Black Americans.”
So when Meghan surprised the students with a virtual commencement speech this past Wednesday night, she did just that.
“For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been planning on saying a few words to you for your graduation, and as we all have seen over the past few weeks, what is happening in our country and in our state and in our hometown of L.A. has been absolutely devastating,” she began.
“And I wasn’t sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing. And I was really nervous that I wouldn’t or that it would get picked apart, and I realized, the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.”
The Duchess continued:
“Because George Floyd’s life mattered, and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered, and Philando Castile’s life mattered, and Tamir Rice’s life mattered, and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we don’t know. Stephon Clark. His life mattered.”
“The first thing I want to say to you is that I’m sorry.”
Meghan went on to share her own memories from the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which she said were also triggered by a “senseless act of racism.”
This was when construction worker Rodney King was violently beaten by LAPD officers.
“I remember the curfew and I remember rushing back home, and on that drive home, seeing ash fall from the sky and smelling the smoke and seeing the smoke billow out of buildings,” she said.
“I remember seeing men in the back of a van just holding guns and rifles.”
“I remember pulling up to the house and seeing the tree that had always been there, completely charred. And those memories don’t go away.”
Meghan recently moved back to her hometown of Los Angeles with husband Prince Harry and their 1-year-old son, Archie.
“I am sorry that in a way we have not gotten to the place where you deserve it to be.”
She then left the graduating students with some words of hope and inspiration.
“You are going to lead with love, you are going to lead with compassion, you are going to use your voice,” she said.
“You are going to use your voice in a stronger way than you have ever been able to, because most of you are 18, or you’re going to turn 18, so you’re going to vote.”
She continued:
“You are going to have empathy for those who don’t see the world through the same lens that you do, because with as diverse, vibrant, and open-minded as I know the teachings at Immaculate Heart are, I know you know that Black lives matter.”
“You are equipped, you are ready, we need you, and you’re prepared.”
Meghan also shared a fond memory from when she was volunteering during her sophomore year and one of her former teachers, Ms. Pollia, said to her, “always remember to put other’s needs above your own fears.”
This is something that’s always stayed with her, especially when faced with times of hardship.
“That has stuck with me throughout my entire life and I have thought about it more in the last week than ever before,” she explained.
It’s safe to say that Meghan’s heartfelt speech will stay with these graduating students.
It was also incredibly needed, as explained by a source close to Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan to Harper’s Bazaar .
“This is something that is incredibly personal to Meghan, especially given everything she has experienced.”
“And as a couple, it is, of course, very important. They are both feeling it, just like the rest of us.”
Together, the couple has always been having conversations with different people to ensure they are well-educated and informed about police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement.
You can watch Meghan’s powerful address here .
