Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Race & Ethnicity

Showing Original Post only (View all)

IronLionZion

(45,261 posts)
Fri Jan 10, 2020, 08:01 AM Jan 2020

Black Britons Know Why Meghan Markle Wants Out [View all]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/opinion/meghan-markle-prince-harry.html



The British press has succeeded in its apparent project of hounding Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, out of Britain. The part it perhaps didn’t bargain for, however, is the loss of Prince Harry — a much loved royal and a key part of the family’s global brand — along with her.

In a statement released this week, the couple said they want to “carve out a progressive new role” within the royal family and will “step back as ‘senior’ members, and work to become financially independent.”

The British press reacted with surprise at the “shock move abroad,” described variously as “seismic,” “selfish,” “rogue” and “an atrocious lapse of judgment.”

If the media paid more attention to Britain’s communities of color, perhaps it would find the announcement far less surprising. With a new prime minister whose track record includes overtly racist statements, some of which would make even Donald Trump blush, a Brexit project linked to native nationalism and a desire to rid Britain of large numbers of immigrants, and an ever thickening loom of imperial nostalgia, many of us are also thinking about moving.

From the very first headline about her being “(almost) straight outta Compton” and having “exotic” DNA, the racist treatment of Meghan has been impossible to ignore. Princess Michael of Kent wore an overtly racist brooch in the duchess’s company. A BBC host compared the couple’s newborn baby to a chimpanzee. Then there was the sublimely ludicrous suggestion that Meghan’s avocado consumption is responsible for mass murder, while her charity cookbook was portrayed as somehow helping terrorists.

Those who claim frequent attacks against the duchess have nothing to do with her race have a hard time explaining these attempts to link her with particularly racialized forms of crime — terrorism and gang activity — as well as the fact that she has been most venomously attacked for acts that attracted praise when other royals did them. Her decision to guest-edit British Vogue, for example, was roundly condemned by large parts of the British media, in stark contrast to Prince Charles’s two-time guest editorship of Country Life magazine, Prince Harry’s of a BBC program and Kate Middleton’s at Huffington Post, all of which were quietly praised at the time.


83 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Im so glad she and Harry are getting out of that mess.... samnsara Jan 2020 #1
Like with his Great-Great Uncle David... ProudMNDemocrat Jan 2020 #2
Um... wryter2000 Jan 2020 #16
Yup Lulu KC Jan 2020 #32
True. BlueMTexpat Jan 2020 #44
Hidden history - the support for Hitler among the rich and powerful DBoon Jan 2020 #51
It always sounded to me like the upper crust Ilsa Jan 2020 #53
One of the tabloids campared her to Wallace Simpson. ReformedGOPer Jan 2020 #79
Great-Great Uncle David was a Nazi sympathizer, The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2020 #27
I am aware of that...... ProudMNDemocrat Jan 2020 #40
I think a better analogy would be Princess Margaret Freddie Jan 2020 #54
Agree RVN VET71 Jan 2020 #8
One night during a fit of insomnia, I found myself on youtube. If you google Hate videos/Meghan, ReformedGOPer Jan 2020 #80
This is clear evidence we don't have a monoply on ignorantly inspired racism. olegramps Jan 2020 #3
For sure. Our racism goes back to at least the Puritans--who were English. SunSeeker Jan 2020 #37
As I often remember Timmygoat Jan 2020 #4
There's also some of the 'foreigner' and 'American' as well. appalachiablue Jan 2020 #5
Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson with Hitler in Germany, 1937. appalachiablue Jan 2020 #57
Our black president wore a tan suit once mountain grammy Jan 2020 #6
You nailed it. blm Jan 2020 #9
I remember right after that NewJeffCT Jan 2020 #11
But that's different. AtheistCrusader Jan 2020 #46
nah NewJeffCT Jan 2020 #50
Yes and people forget True Blue American Jan 2020 #56
Seems like they give it a worthy try, and fault lies solely with others. lostnfound Jan 2020 #7
"They seemed willing and able to give the country something special." Rorey Jan 2020 #14
Yes. Britain's loss soldierant Jan 2020 #39
They will NEVER live in the US. Haggis for Breakfast Jan 2020 #72
Agreed. GreenPartyVoter Jan 2020 #81
There is racism in Canada - not as much as here, soldierant Jan 2020 #82
Good for them! I wish every good thing for Meghan and Harry and baby Archie- they deserve it! dlk Jan 2020 #10
Hear, hear! B Stieg Jan 2020 #36
I get it, too Joinfortmill Jan 2020 #12
I admire the strength it took for them to stay as long as they did Rorey Jan 2020 #13
I suspect Harry and Meghan feel the UK no longer represents their values... KY_EnviroGuy Jan 2020 #15
Bingo!!!! Wellstone ruled Jan 2020 #52
I had no idea it was that bad PatSeg Jan 2020 #17
Depending on where they land, it could be worse. tRumplandia would be FAR worse. Texin Jan 2020 #23
Yes, that dawned on me as well PatSeg Jan 2020 #24
Meghan and Archie are in Canada now IronLionZion Jan 2020 #26
I believe she has relatives in Oregon. They'd be welcome here, but WheelWalker Jan 2020 #47
I think the Oregon relative is a weird and creepy brother, unfortunately renate Jan 2020 #61
Perhaps they'll settle in B.C.? WheelWalker Jan 2020 #63
Their apparent choice of Canada is really nice, I think. nt Grasswire2 Jan 2020 #58
I do also. WheelWalker Jan 2020 #62
I understand why they're doing it but Skittles Jan 2020 #66
I think when you have a child, PatSeg Jan 2020 #67
when those boys were forced to walk a distance BEHIND their mum's casket (funeral procession) Skittles Jan 2020 #68
I know PatSeg Jan 2020 #70
I did not understand that Skittles Jan 2020 #83
Wow winetourdriver01 Jan 2020 #18
Harry is probably ready to pop a paparazzi for annoying his wife, and by extension, Submariner Jan 2020 #19
CNN Analysis for DUers stuck at the NYT pay wall IronLionZion Jan 2020 #20
TY ILZ lunasun Jan 2020 #30
Murdoch put out a press contract on her. bronxiteforever Jan 2020 #21
I don't blame them at all. 47of74 Jan 2020 #22
Absofuckinglutely. When you come to a fork in the path... take it. WheelWalker Jan 2020 #49
I'm tired of racism. So tired of it. I watched PatrickforO Jan 2020 #25
If this was about money, Markle would have been immune. RandySF Jan 2020 #29
Not so. Anyone who is different from the white mainstream is subjected to it. PatrickforO Jan 2020 #34
The STAGGERING racism of the British press was unconscionable. Haggis for Breakfast Jan 2020 #73
I'll go with that. May the couple be blessed with peace, rest and divine light! n/t PatrickforO Jan 2020 #74
Money and position are only partial shields against systemic racism. RandySF Jan 2020 #28
Ah, I see where you're going with this. PatrickforO Jan 2020 #35
So - the Taint of Even a Drop of Black Blood is Too Much for the Royal Family, Eh? panfluteman Jan 2020 #31
Princess Diana dated brown Muslim men, Hasnat Khan and Dodi Al Fayed. IronLionZion Jan 2020 #33
Ding, ding, ding! I think we BlueMTexpat Jan 2020 #45
They didn't resign -- they were fired. rocktivity Jan 2020 #38
The official Letters Patent regulate titles in the UK. CottonBear Jan 2020 #41
The Queen of Britian is the Queen of England - seems to me they may have chosen it because Native Jan 2020 #64
Post removed Post removed Jan 2020 #75
This a Murdoch and Murdoch clones, donimated, right wing press. Mr. Sparkle Jan 2020 #42
Racism and royalty Normanart Jan 2020 #43
Run children run! jmbar2 Jan 2020 #48
Wow. They don't even try to hide their racism. Ilsa Jan 2020 #55
especially now that Borish Boris and the Conservative party have come to power the RW Brits have onetexan Jan 2020 #60
Even before their wedding, there were hints that they might settle in California FakeNoose Jan 2020 #59
Both Harry and Megan are multi-millionaires. Sogo Jan 2020 #69
My English mum would have loved Meghan Skittles Jan 2020 #65
Tweet from Justin Trudeau on Harry, Meghan, and Archie! Cha Jan 2020 #71
I would think there have been the usual right wing death threats delisen Jan 2020 #76
Brtish society is so layered, it isn't funny. Aussie105 Jan 2020 #77
In General... QualTest Jan 2020 #78
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Race & Ethnicity»Black Britons Know Why Me...»Reply #0