Meghan Markle
By Maria Thompson Corley
May 23, 2018
Meghan Markle’s Blackness: The Lot of Black People Hasn’t Changed Just Because a Woman With African Heritage Has Joined the British Royal Family
I had no intention of watching the royal
wedding. In addition to philosophical issues I will mention later, I’m a
church organist, which means I’ve played so many ceremonies that unless
I know the couple personally, I’m mainly excited about the check. But
when I turned on the TV, there they were—Meghan and Harry, two
well-dressed strangers standing at the altar in an opulent church full
of celebrities. I’m a classical musician with a weakness for the sound
of boy sopranos, so I couldn’t help being curious about the music. I
also like to look at pretty dresses. Nothing better to do, so I settled
in. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
I tuned in moments before the Most
Reverend Michael Curry, the African-American bishop of the Episcopal
church (in which I’ve been a musician for many years) delivered his flawless sermon,
referencing slavery and Martin Luther King while extolling love’s power
to change the world. By now, most people are aware of the musical nods
to the bride’s blackness: the gospel choir singing “Stand by Me” in the
church followed by a medley of “This Little Light of Mine” and “Amen”
outside it, and the stunning performance by teenage cellist Shekuh Kanneh-Mason. Most also know Oprah Winfrey and Idris Elba were in the congregation, but may not have heard about Tessy Ojo, CEO of the only charity to bear Princess Diana’s name, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the queen’s personal chaplain, and Colleen Harris, the first black royal press secretary. Mutsu Potsane
was an even lesser-known guest. He bonded with the groom in an
orphanage in Lesotho when Harry was 19 and Mutsu was 4. Also in
attendance was his compatriot Prince Seeiso (a good friend with whom Prince Harry co-founded a charity)
and his wife, Princess Mabareng. As I write this, the honeymoon is
still delayed, but expected destinations include Namibia. Most of all,
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, wearing a nose ring and locks, was never off-camera for long. In short, nobody can say this was a purely “vanilla” affair.
The lot of black people hasn’t suddenly
changed just because a woman with African heritage has joined the
British royal family, though, any more than the election of Barack
Obama—whose family is decidedly regal—made everything all better. It was
clear that a number of white guests didn’t quite know how to react to
the inclusion of black culture. And yet, as much as I tried to stay
indifferent, I got chills. I even choked up a bit. But why?
Before I answer, I need to mention my
philosophical issues. Two days after the ceremony, a friend sent me a
video of a black woman ridiculing the people who are excited about
Meghan Markle being Great Britain’s first black princess (though it
appears that she isn’t). The commentator pointed out that there are many, many black princesses in Africa. Good point, but…so what? Let’s
face it: the idea of monarchy is antiquated and ridiculous, especially
since nobody puts their life on the line to maintain their status
anymore (not that I think the system was better back in the day).
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