Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Talking to Community Leaders About Roles in Black Lives Matter
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been talking to community leaders about how they can both learn more and contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd.
“They are holding calls with community leaders and organizations but are doing that privately as they continue to see how they can play a role. But they also want to learn and talk about it like the rest of us,” a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE.
On Wednesday, Meghan gave an emotional surprise address during the virtual graduation ceremony of her former school – Immaculate Heart High School in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. In her speech, she told the students, “the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.”
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Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle
Meghan spoke for about six minutes in a video filmed on her phone at the L.A. home she shares with Harry, 35, and baby Archie, 1.
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"What is happening in our country and in our state and in our hometown of L.A. has been absolutely devastating," she continued. "I wasn’t sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that I wouldn’t, or that it would get picked apart. And I realized the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing 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 do not know."
The Duke of Sussex/@SaveChildrenUK Meghan Markle and Archie
A source close to Meghan tells PEOPLE that her "heart hurts" for the young people who are graduating into a world of "injustice," and that she hoped that her words provided a "small bit of hope, comfort or inspiration" to the school community as they head out into the world.
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Meghan and Harry have also been finding ways to support their local community amid the coronavirus pandemic. They distributed meals for the non-profit, Project Angel Food, which prepares and delivers meals to people living with critical illnesses who are at greater risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SplashNews Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Meghan has also continued to support an animal rescue charity in the U.K., Mayhew, of which she is patron. She recently revealed that she sponsored a dog kennel in her son Archie's name.
“As I write, the Covid-19 crisis is gripping every country in the world and destabilizing the lives of countless families across the U.K. I am proud of how Mayhew have responded by finding new ways to support animals and people in these uncertain times,” she wrote.
“What I am even prouder of is that Mayhew’s mission was made for moments like these. It’s not just about cats and dogs; it’s about all of us, about our ability to come together as a community. In the wake of Covid, we are reminded that our need to take care of one another is a vital part of the human spirit. Mayhew has always understood this," she continued.
