Meghan Markle made comments about the death of George Floyd during a commencement speech for her former high school.
Markle gave a five-minute speech Wednesday night to Immaculate Heart students in Los Angeles, according to a report published by Essence magazine.
“George Floyd’s life mattered and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered and Philando Castile’s life mattered and Tamir Rice’s life mattered.”
Duchess Meghan has shared a powerful video with @IHPandas Immaculate Heart High School’s class of 2020 for their graduation.#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/BzUmfnKICb
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) June 4, 2020
“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 LA has been absolutely devastating,” Markle said. (RELATED: REPORT: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Reportedly Called The Cops After Drones Flew Over Their Hollywood Home)
“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,” she continued. “Stephon Clark. His life mattered.”
The Duchess, says a spokesperson, “felt compelled to directly address what’s happening in this country right now around the killing of George Floyd––as well as what’s been happening over many, many years and many, many generations to countless other black Americans.”
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) June 4, 2020
The former Duchess of Sussex apologized to the senior class for the world they have to grow up in.
“The first thing I want to say to you is that I’m sorry,” Markle added. “I’m so sorry you have to grow up in a world where this is still present.”
Markle also recalled the Rodney King riots that occurred in Los Angeles in 1992.
“I am sorry that in a way we have not gotten to the place where you deserve it to be,” she said.