Meghan Markle, star of the show Suits and CEO of lifestyle brand The Tig, should be living the Julia Styles dream right now, straight out of The Prince & Me. Markle, who has been openly dating Prince Harry since November, has received so much racially charged harassment that Kensington Palace released an official statement declaring that it wouldn’t be tolerated. Now, Markle has penned a piece for Elle Magazine called I’m More Than An Other about her identity as a biracial woman, and the terrible behavior that she and her parents still face.  

While Markle does not mention the recent limelight and subsequent harassment, she is clear that she is no stranger to racial microaggressions. Citing experiences from childhood and college to becoming a working actress, she shares memories that have stuck with her, including a roommate saying that “it made sense” her parents are divorced (Markle’s father is white, and mother is black), hearing her mother called the N-word by a fellow driver on the road, and receiving the question “What are you?” almost daily. She praises the creators of _Suits,_ where she has been one of the leads for six seasons, for not trying to fit her character Rachel in a box, and letting her be a strong, smart, biracial woman. Following in her ancestor's footsteps, she encourages the readers to create their own box, and look at people as individuals with unique pasts and stories.

I strongly (honestly, I cannot encourage you enough) to read Markel's full essay here. It’s beautifully written and worth reading in full. We hope you’ll read, process, and share.

 Image by Genevieve via Wikimedia Commons

by Kelsey Duchesne