I have a lot to thank the Duchess of Sussex for (former Hollywood actress, Meghan Markle). Since her pairing with Prince Harry, I have been increasingly asked to speak about her and how she is being treated in Britain.
When Meghan started dating Prince Harry, my pen was poised to write an article on what it might mean to have a woman of color and a feminist openly accepted into the British monarchy. A woman of black heritage, who cares deeply about social justice and whose ancestors were thought to have been enslaved in the American state of Georgia, thrust in to an institution that is inextricably linked to slavery, patriarchy, and British colonial rule. The irony of this was not lost on me, but nonetheless, it was momentous.
On the 19th of May, 2018 she married her Prince at Windsor Castle – feminist touches, Bishop Curry and nods to both of their cultures and personalities were included. I was lucky enough to be invited to witness history unfold. I remember the palpable joy, even at 5 am, of what was about to happen. Seeing people from all corners of the world converging to celebrate their union. A sense of togetherness lead me to unexpectedly feel patriotic for the first time in decades. I felt hopeful.
It was short lived.
Prince Harry released an unprecedented statement in November 2017 just before their engagement detailing how the abuse and harassment his fiancee had received had lead to his extreme concern for her safety and wellbeing. Subsequently, despite the Prince’s pleas, noticeable scrutiny and disproportionate ill treatment towards her has continuously gained momentum.
When we discuss racism we struggle to think about it beyond a single act of overt intentional hate. As a result, we forget about systemic racism, the hidden kind that’s in the everyday, which researchers report, is more dangerous than overt acts and lurks, often masked and disguised, in many of our communities. Being aware of the nuanced ways racism occurs is vital in being able to, not only recognize discrimination, but more importantly, to do something about it. This is often the kind of racism Meghan experiences.
I talk about hidden racism more here.
A report undertaken by Sky News researchers earlier this year explored the immense amount of racial hate and trolling Meghan experiences on social media.
Aside from the bizarre sense of ownership over Meghan – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s proximity to the throne is not as close to that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as such, they do not have defined roles and have more freedom to “step outside of the imaginary box.” Despite this, they suffer disproportionate treatment in comparison to other Royals, increasing frequency of instances of scrutiny and documented abuse. This can only lead us to explore the factor at play that no one wants to admit. Racism.
Britain has a colorful colonial past with unresolved issues of systemic racism and there are still many, some in our social circles, some hiding on the internet, who believe in the social class idiom of the “blue blood.” A belief that anyone who is not white, is not pure and of lower social standing.
This was mirrored in former UKIP MP’s girlfriend, Jo Marney who went on a racist tirade stating Meghan will “taint” the Royal family. It didn’t stop at Meghan either, with jabs at barely born Archie too. We can’t forget Danny Baker and the Chimpanzee picture either…
Of course, these overt examples are easy to spot – but what about the more covert?
The coverage during her pregnancy was profound. Criticism of the couples’ every move, plus the recent blow out surrounding her decision to guest edit Vogue – which was named the “leftie issue” by the Sun for her decision to “pass the baton” to 15 women leading change rather than pose for the September cover herself. All this despite the fact that Prince Charles guest edited Country Life magazine in 2016, and no one batted an eyelid. So why was Meghan deemed narcissistic? Why were people snarling that it was inappropriate to edit a magazine and that she should stick to “royal duties” when the Duchess of Cambridge fronted the cover of Vogue in 2016 and was generally praised?
Research commissioned by Sky News reveals that Meghan is frequently subjected to racist attacks on social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as platforms like 4chan, 8chan and Gab – which are even more problematic because of the associated anonymity. Some content on these channels was so explicit they were unable to publish it. Accounts dedicated to sharing abusive theories about Meghan, constant jibes with racist undertones; including – “banana baroness”
Meghan is often referred to as exotic in the press, historically a covertly racist way to talk about black and brown people, especially black and mixed race women who were (are) often fetishized. The literal meaning of exotic means: “originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country” and it’s often used to describe plants or animals. I needn’t say more.
Words are tools, and also weapons. They carry impact, they inform and they influence perception. British journalism is 94% white. As a result, the industry is going to be impacted by biases and perpetuate conscious and unconscious racial stereotypes, or give limited or coded narratives such as Meghan being exotic. These biases impact how stories are reported, and thus, how the country views her.
Ultimately we lack sophistication and knowledge in identifying covert racism. When reading an article on our iPhone, do we stop and ask ourselves who wrote it and why? No, we generally don’t. So if we can’t identify it, if we automatically dismiss it, and find all of the reasons why something is NOT racism, how do we deal with it?
It is regularly argued that the abuse Meghan receives is simply because she is ‘difficult’ and because some people just don’t like her.
But if we look at the disproportionate treatment, the in-depth research the detailed reports such as the one from Sky News – revealing unprecedented race hate and trolling – we can see that this is not the case.
And more to the point, there are numerous statements and accounts from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about the racism Meghan has received and calling for it to stop.
So the question isn’t for us to debate whether she has received racism from the press and public or not, the question is, like many black and brown people who have the courage to speak up about racism, why don’t we believe her when she says she has?
