CHICAGO (AP) – While Prince Harry and Meghan’s TV interview reverberates internationally, it has left more than 50 million viewers struggling with the couple’s allegations of racism and lack of support that Meghan says led her to suicidal thoughts.
But for many black women around the world, the headlines and discussions on social media were painfully familiar. With social media conversations questioning whether racism has affected Meghan’s treatment by the British press and the royal family, many black women say it is yet another example of a black woman’s experiences with racism being ignored and denied.
“White supremacy seeks to isolate you, make you feel that no one is listening and that no one is supporting you. He uses it as a tool to stay in power, ”said Gaye Theresa Johnson, associate professor in the UCLA Department of African American Studies. “And then, when you are not validated in your feelings or you feel supported, it does real harm.”
Meghan, the daughter of a white father and a black mother, said that when she was pregnant with her son Archie, a member of the royal family expressed “concerns … about how dark her skin might be”. The former television star also said she sought mental health help through the palace’s human resources department, but was told there was nothing that could be done.
Almost as soon as the interview with Oprah Winfrey aired, many were quick to deny Meghan’s allegations of racism. The New York Post published a column entitled “Meghan Markle’s interview was full of bullshit”. British television presenter Piers Morgan quit his job on the “Good Morning Britain” program after facing a negative reaction by saying on the air that Meghan lied about having suicidal thoughts in what he called “trash for two hours from our royal family”.
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that “the whole family is sad to know the extent of how challenging the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan”, but that “some memories may vary.”
Johnson said the doubts and questions raised against Meghan’s claims were emotionally painful for many black women, who can relate to the trauma of having their personal experiences with racism invalidated by others.
“It’s an insult when people are incredulous about the racism that people like Meghan Markle experienced, because that incredulity speaks volumes about what people refuse to see, what is right in front of their eyes all the time and that some people they have to sail daily, ”she said.
“It affects a person and his mental health.”
Dr. Anita Thomas, executive vice president and dean at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, said that watching Meghan’s interview with Winfrey was thrilling.
“It shows the burden that many African American women face,” she said. “For black women, it was disturbing to see that, even when she had the courage to talk about her experiences with racism, she did not get the support she needed and, in many ways, her experiences were invalidated.”
Thomas said that enduring such treatment requires “psychological and emotional energy” to navigate. “As a psychologist, I hope people will talk about this effect of racism and sexism on psychological functioning,” she said.
Sinai Fleary, founder of British lifestyle publication Reggae and Rasta, Jus’ Jah Magazine, said that although she initially saw a show of support for Meghan, she quickly noticed this change on social media.
“They will dispense, light and ignore what we have been saying, and what Meghan and Harry are saying,” Fleary, who lives in London, wrote on Twitter. “This is how the media and certain parts of the public work. Same formula, always. “
Fleary told the Associated Press that Meghan’s interview brought back her own memories of being racially discriminated against in stores and of seeing white women grabbing their bags on public transport when they saw her.
“If racism as blatant as what Meghan said is immediately denied, will people believe me when I tell them about these daily examples of racism that I face every day?” she asked.
Fleary said the UK has a long history of dismissing black women in conversations about racism. “They never believed,” she said. “It is always to deny and discard. It can be so blatant and people will still say they don’t see it. “
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, pointed to the racist attitudes of the British media as a reason to move away from royal duties and move to North America last year, something Harry reiterated in the interview with Winfrey.
When Meghan and Harry started dating, many pointed to the relationship as evidence that Britain was entering a “post-racial” era, but the racism that Meghan faced in the British media told another story.
When the first news of their relationship emerged, the publications quickly referred to Meghan in racist terms, with a tabloid columnist referring to his “exotic” DNA. A headline from Mail Online stated that Meghan was “(almost) straight from Compton”, and a headline from the Daily Star asked if Harry “would marry gangster royalty”.
Then, when Meghan and Harry announced that they would step away from official royal duties last year, people quickly began to question that racism was what kept Meghan away.
Heather McGhee, author of the book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everything and How We Can Thrive Together”, said the immediate rush of some to deny Meghan’s claims was disturbing.
And that denial is something that black women face every day, she said.
“Often black women in conference rooms and offices are discriminated against and have no recourse, just as one of the most powerful black women in the world had no recourse, except giving up everything,” said McGhee of Meghan.
“I hope we realize that there is a much less powerful version of Meghan in his office or school that is being discriminated against and has no champions. I hope this will encourage more people to defend their Black colleagues, neighbors and friends. “
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Fernando is a member of the Associated Press race and ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christinetfern.