Meghan Markle responds to the death of George Floyd

While addressing her former high school, Immaculate Heart High in L.A., Meghan Markle has spoken out about the death of George Floyd.

In the heartfelt video, Markle said, “George Floyd’s life mattered. As we’ve all seen over the last week what is happening in our country and in our state and in our home town of L.A. has been absolutely devastating.” Markle, who recently shifted homes to the city with her husband Prince Harry, was previously living in Canada for a brief period of time.

She said, “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 don’t know. Stephon Clark. His life mattered.”

Markle went on to confess that she was nervous in standing up for the #BlackLivesMatter moment, because she was afraid of her statement being “picked apart.” However, she decided that not saying anything and staying quiet would be much worse.

“I was 11 or 12 years old and it was the LA Riots, which was also triggered by a senseless act of racism,” she said. “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 the house and seeing the tree, that had always been there, completely charred. And those memories don’t go away.”

Markle gave a special thanks to one of her teachers that had helped her speak up for what she believed in. Watch her full speech below: