Meghan Markle has delivered an emotional speech to the graduating class of her former school Immaculate Heart, in Los Angeles.
She encouraged the students to use their voices, to vote and to help make the world a better place.
The mum reflected on her own personal experience of the 1992 riots in LA after the arrest of Rodney King.
She said: “I was 11 or 12 years old and it was the LA Riots, which was also triggered by a senseless act of racism. I remember the curfew and I remember rushing back home and on that drive home, seeing ash fall from the sky and smelling the smoke and seeing the smoke billow out of buildings.”
"I remember seeing men in the back of a van just holding guns and rifles. I remember pulling up to the house and seeing the tree that had always been there, completely charred. And those memories don't go away."
“I can’t imagine that at 17/18-years-old that you would have to have a different version of that same type of experience. That’s something you should have an understanding of as a history lesson, not as your reality.
“I am sorry that we have not gotten the world to a place that you deserve it to be.”
Meghan stressed that it is important for all of us to work together, “We are seeing people stand in solidarity. We are seeing come together and to uplift. And you’re going to be part of this movement.”
“You get to be part of rebuilding. We are going to rebuild and rebuild and rebuild until it is rebuilt, because when the foundation is broken so are we.”
She encouraged the students to lead with compassion and love and to use their voice when they can vote. “I know you know that black lives matter. The only wrong thing to say is to say nothing, because George Floyd’s life mattered, 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 do not know.”
"I am so proud to call each of you a fellow alumni and please know that I'm cheering you on all along the way. I am wishing you a huge congratulations on today, the start of all the impact you are going to make on the world as the leaders we so deeply crave,” Meghan added.
