Sunday, May 27, 2018

A Royal Wedding, A Biracial Bride and Bold Blackness


After breathless weeks of annoying my family and friends about it, the day finally arrived for me to  sit down with a friend in front of her TV and watch the wedding of Prince Harry and his true love Meghan Markle. It was, of course, quite enjoyable to witness the handsome groom strut down the walk with his brother Prince William, who served as his best man alongside him, as he attempted to hide his nerves,  and to see the angelic bride get out of her car as she strolled up the steps of St. George's Chapel and began gliding down the aisle, first solo then escorted down the remaining part of the aisle with her father-in-law Prince Charles. It was beautiful to witness the barely restrained adoration of Prince Harry as Meghan reached the altar.

With the exterior of the chapel arrayed with gorgeous flowers, this enamored couple stared lovingly at each other in the presence of their nearest and dearest, including one woman in pastel green with her locs flowing from beneath an elegant hat. This resplendent brown-skinned woman, Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland, social worker and part-time yoga teacher, a lover of Al Green, free-spirited wearer of a nose ring, was front and center, beaming with awe and pride, and with the whole world watching, representing a legacy of black American women who've endured and risen with ultimate grace.

As Ms. Ragland, along with 600 others, bore witness, Bishop Michael Curry, the first black person to serve as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S, commenced to bring forth black church into St. George's. Invoking the spirits of those who suffered through the grave inhumanity of slavery, he spoke of how these men and women utilized the negro spiritual There is a Healing Balm in Gilead to express their love of the healing power of God, and how this belief can bring about world-changing love, as evidenced by the bride and groom's strong love for each other and passion for improving the world around them. 

With the rafters of this 14th-century house of worship properly shaken, the healing power of music floated through the ornate chapel as South London's all-black Kingdom Choir sang their heavenly rendition of the Ben E. King classic Stand by Me.

After the couple had exchanged vows, they went off to sign the marriage register while those in the church were treated to a cello solo by 19 year-old Britain's Got Talent finalist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Finally to top off this day of grand romance and demonstration of black American culture, the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex exited the ceremony to the sounds of the Kingdom Choir singing Etta James' This Little Light of Mine, as they greeted the jubilant crowds and made their way to the carriage that would whisk them through the streets of Windsor.

 As a romantic, I was so delighted to see how obviously in love with each other this couple were, but I was overjoyed that the Duchess of Sussex defied the common perception that biracials are running away from their black heritage as she and her new husband left their wedding to both live out their own love story and heed Bishop Curry's message to make the world at large a more loving place. 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Very Important Biracial: Meghan Markle


As anyone who knows me, or has even been within a few feet of me since last November, I'm quite ecstatic about the upcoming nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Being a fan of the British Royal family, and particularly of Prince Harry, as well as a biracial American woman, this historic event makes me giddy. I'm so happy Prince Harry has found true love after such a turbulent and often controversial youth and am over the moon to have someone so very accomplished with my background represented within such a revered and important institution.

Ms. Markle stole His Royal Highness' heart by displaying the same indomitable and compassionate spirit that she has throughout her entire 36 years of life. Rachel Meghan Markle was born in 1981 in Los Angeles, CA to Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, who divorced when she was 6 years old. She was deeply inspired by both her makeup artist mother (who later went on to get a Master's degree in Social Work)  and lighting director father to understand she could accomplish anything and developed a spirit of outspokenness and a sense of global responsibility. These values led her to such actions as speaking out against sexism in advertising at age 11 and to an internship at the US Embassy in Argentina, after obtaining degrees in both theatre and international studies from Northwestern University 

On her path down life, Ms. Markle ended up following her father into the entertainment business, utilizing her theatre degree to become an actress. Beginning her career as a Deal or No Deal suitcase model, she eventually landed a key role as paralegal Rachel Zane on the USA legal drama Suits. 

Living in Toronto, where Suits films, Meghan had achieved a lovely little life with a good acting career, a gig modeling for Canadian clothing retailer Reitman's and, furthering her mission to serve humanity, being an ambassador for World Vision and working with UN Women. All was well with the exception of someone to share it with. After a short failed marriage and a subsequent relationship, she was set up by a friend in the summer of 2016 with a certain red-head, and within months of meeting she and Prince Harry were enchanted with each other. Last fall, these two lovebirds got engaged and, as Ms. Markle trades the amber waves of grain for the lush green of the British Isles and Prince Harry adjusts to saying Band-Aid instead of plaster, this couple will set off on a brave and beautiful new journey together.