Then came the defensive attitude of some in the media, trying again to enlighten an entire nation.
“It made me feel insecure that was the emotion I felt,” said Karen Gibson of the interview that shook Britain and provoked the worst prejudice.
“We knew we were breaking new ground,” she said of the group’s exciting performance. “We were defending communities of color not just in the UK, but around the world, and we knew that America would be watching.”
Overnight, Gibson, nicknamed “Godmother of the Gospel” by the British media, became a celebrity in her community of Clapham, south London, where she lived for decades.
“I was sitting on the bus one day and a woman, a black lady, came and sat next to me and said, ‘We did it!’ and I said, ‘Can we do it? Can we do it? “Gibson laughed.
Now that hope and optimism are tinged with the deep pain of racial trauma – the struggles of an American actress who lives in the palace speak directly to the experience of ordinary black Britons.
“I think my reaction is still over? Are we still here in 2021?” Gibson said about the explosive interview.
Gibson feels that her words about Meghan have been misinterpreted in the media before – an experience she says left her “traumatized” and led to a “loss of confidence” in journalists.
In a time of national confinement, the UK’s mainstream media is its public square – a space that many black Britons say are hostile to them.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement this week that “the issues raised, particularly those of race, are of concern.”
In response to Harry’s accusation that British tabloids are “fanatics” and build a “toxic environment” of “control and fear”, the UK Publishers’ Society said that racism played no role in covering the Duchess. The group’s head came down after a quick rebuke from more than 160 black journalists. calling the statement “willful ignorance”.
“The widespread refusal to accept that there is any intolerance in the British press is laughable, does black journalists a disservice and shows an institution and an industry in denial,” they added.
Popular TV host Piers Morgan’s claim on one of Britain’s most watched morning shows that he “didn’t believe a word” of what Meghan was saying led to 41,000 complaints to the UK communications regulator. An investigation was launched, and the famous presenter lost his main role.
On Wednesday, Morgan said he still doesn’t believe Meghan.
“I had time to reflect on that opinion and I haven’t yet [believe her], “Morgan tweeted.” If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill on which I am happy to die. Thank you for all the love and hate. I will spend more time with my opinions. “
Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, whose heated conversation on the air with Morgan went viral after he questioned Meghan’s veracity during her Oprah interview, says it will take more than a few layoffs to heal the division.
“There is a question of a lack of confidence in the media,” said Mos-Shogbamimu. “If the media is going to change your words, the tone of your words, how are you going to trust them with your most valuable asset, which is your voice.”
The Britain that Prince Harry and Meghan left is already changing. He was shaken by a racial calculation after the death of George Floyd in the United States, which pushed tens of thousands of anti-racist protesters onto the streets of the United Kingdom. This hope for change is rapidly turning into a demand for equality.
“I cannot waste my energy on those who are still in ABC, 123s, do-re-mis of racism,” explained Mos-Shogbamimu, “I recognize that those who are against progress in racial equality and racial justice … one of their tactics is to thwart the efforts of anti-racist activists like me, so if they put me arguing at level 123, where is my energy to deal with the real fight? ”
Away from the mainstream British media – a predominantly white institution – Zeze Millz has conquered its own space on social media.
Its weekly program on YouTube speaks to an audience of 120,000 people about cultural and political issues.
“We have been good. We have been very, very good for so long,” explained Millz from his London studio. “Now we are at that point where, like, no, our voices will be heard now and if it is uncomfortable for you, then bad luck.”
The British are quick to condemn viral videos of police brutality against blacks in America quickly, but at home the refrain “racism does not exist” is often heard by people of color, says Millz.
“There is a lot of open racism in America,” said Millz, “while it’s not like that here – it’s very underhanded. They always kind of criticize it and come up with another reason for it not to be racism.”
Supporters of the royal couple see the TV interview as a public, global claim that Black Britain was right: racism exists in the UK. But they argue that exposing systemic inequality is only the first step.
“Racism is very profound. It is profound for a person to almost go in and change all of that, but I think this interview is going to bring about a lot of changes,” said Millz.