CHICAGO (AP) – While Prince Harry and Meghan’s TV interview resonates internationally, over 50 million viewers continue to struggle with the couple’s claims about racism and the lack of support that Meghan says have driven her to suicidal thoughts.
But for many black women around the world, the headlines and social media discussions were painfully familiar. While conversations on social media question whether racism influenced Meghan’s treatment of Meghan by the British press and the royal family, many black women say it is yet another example of a black woman’s experience of racism that is being ignored and denied.
“White supremacy tries to isolate you, to make you feel like no one is listening and no one is supporting you. It uses that as a tool to stay in power, ”said Gaye Theresa Johnson, associate professor in the African American Studies division at UCLA. “And so if you’re not validated in your feelings or feel supported, it can really hurt.”
Meghan, the daughter of a white father and black mother, said that when she was pregnant with her son Archie, a member of the royal family “expressed concern … about how dark his skin might be.” The former television star also said she had sought mental health help through the palace’s human resources department, but was told there was nothing it could do.
Almost as soon as the Oprah Winfrey interview 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 bull.” British television host Piers Morgan quit his job at “Good Morning Britain” after facing criticism for saying on the air that Meghan lied about suffering from suicidal thoughts in what he called a “two-hour trash-a-“. thon of our royal family ”.
Buckingham Palace released a statement on Tuesday saying that “the whole family is sad to hear how challenging the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” but that “some memories may be different.”
Johnson said the doubts and interrogations against Meghan’s claims were emotionally heartbreaking for many black women, who may be related to the trauma of having their personal experiences of racism debunked by others.
“It’s an insult when people are incredulous about the racism people like Meghan Markle have experienced because that disbelief speaks volumes about what people refuse to see, what is always right in front of their eyes and that some people have to navigate on a daily basis,” says she said.
“That takes its toll on a person and their mental health.”
Dr. Anita Thomas, executive vice president and provost at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, said watching Meghan’s interview with Winfrey was emotional.
“It speaks to the burden that many African American women face,” she said. “For black women, it was shocking to see that even if 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 Reggae and Rasta lifestyle publication Jus’ Jah Magazine, said that while she initially saw a flood of support for Meghan, she quickly saw that change on social media.
“They will ignore, gaslight and ignore what we’ve said, and what Meghan and Harry have said,” Fleary, who lives in London, wrote on Twitter. “This is how the media and certain sections of the public work. The same formula every time. “
Fleary told The Associated Press that Meghan’s interview brought back her own memories of being racially profiled in stores and seeing white women grabbing their bags on public transportation when they saw her.
“If racism as blatantly as what Meghan spoke of is immediately denied, will people believe me when I tell them about these less overt, everyday examples of racism that I deal with every day?” she asked.
Fleary said the UK has a long history of firing black women in talks about racism. “They are never believed,” she said. ‘It is always denying and rejecting. 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 British media’s racist stance as a reason to abandon royal duties and move to North America last year, as Harry reiterated in the interview with Winfrey.
When Meghan and Harry began dating, many pointed to the relationship as evidence that Britain was entering a “post-racial” era, but the racism Meghan faced by the British media told a different story.
When news of their relationship first broke, publications were quick to refer to Meghan in racist terms, with a tabloid columnist referring to her ‘exotic’ DNA. A Mail Online headline stated that Meghan was “(almost) straight out of Compton,” and a Daily Star headline asked if Harry would “marry a gangster royalty.”
When Meghan and Harry announced last year that they would be relinquishing official royal duties, people quickly began to question that racism was driving Meghan away.
Heather McGhee, author of the book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together,” said the immediate rush of some to deny Meghan’s allegations was disturbing.
And that denial is something black women deal with every day, she said.
“Very often, in meeting rooms and offices, black women experience discrimination and have no redress, just as one of the more powerful black women in the world had no option but to give up everything,” McGhee said of Meghan.
“I hope we realize that there is probably a much less powerful version of Meghan in your office or school that is being discriminated against (against) and has no champions. I hope this will encourage more people to stand up for their black colleagues, neighbors and friends. “
Fernando is a member of the Associated Press Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christinetfern