Activists slam Meghan ‘had to learn to be black’ comments from race campaigner

A race and equality campaigner has said Meghan “had to learn how to be black” after marrying Harry. Activists have since hit back.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Picture: Timothy A. Clary / AFP

Activists have labelled a British race and equality campaigner “evil” and a “victim blamer” after he said Meghan Markle had to “learn to be black” after marrying Prince Harry but “made a bit of a mess of it”.

Sir Trevor Phillips, a former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in the UK, said “race was never a part of her background” because she was from a wealthy family and went to private school.

Speaking to Piers Morgan Uncensored, Sir Trevor said: “I think people mistake who Meghan Markle is, she herself said that until she became this princess she never regarded herself particularly as black and that’s understandable.

“She grew up in Los Angeles in the most wealthy black enclave anywhere in the United States – Park View, Windsor Hills ... she went to a private Roman Catholic school and in a sense race was never really a part of her background.”

Meghan Markle with her mother Doria Ragland. Picture: Steve Parsons / POOL / AFP

Last year Meghan told Mariah Carey on her Spotify podcast that race had only become an issue for her after she got married.

“If there’s any time in my life that it’s been more focused on my race, it’s only once I started dating my husband,” she said.

“Then I started to understand what it was like to be treated like a black woman. Because up until then, I had been treated like a mixed woman. And things really shifted.”

Sir Trevor said that Meghan’s claim that the Royal Family were racist when they expressed curiosity about Archie’s skin colour during her Oprah Winfrey interview showed how unfamiliar with the issue was.

“You knew, anyone who had come from a black family, knew this was not her territory when she made this supposedly incendiary claim about somebody asking about what colour Archie’s skin would be, well actually every black family... the minute you know somebody is coming, that’s what you’re speculating about.

Trevor Phillips is the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

“For white people it’s hair and eye colour.”

He continued: “The point I really want to make about Meghan Markle is that she had to learn how to be black on the job, as it were, and I think she made a bit of a mess of it, she didn’t take advice, and that in some sense is why I think they squandered the opportunity to demonstrate something important about this country...”

Social media has since erupted over Sir Trevor’s bold claims, with dozens of viewers taking to Twitter to slam his comments.

“Seriously - this is an evil thing for anyone to say - let alone a black man to say about a strong embattled bullied woman who is being targeted because she is black,” one person tweeted.

As a BLACK ENGLISH BORN woman in my late 50’s, I can say that I HAVE experienced RACISM.
Stop talking nonsense TREVOR PHILLIPS.

— Michaela Wills (@MichaelaWills2) June 23, 2023

A self-described fairness, equality and justice advocate added: “Shame on Trevor Phillips! As long as he is paid and looked after, he is happy to undo all the good work that has been done by true black/brown activists who have been fighting to eradicate racism.”

“For him to say (Meghan) didn‘t suffer racism is gaslighting in the extreme.”

Meanwhile writer and campaigner Natasha Devon said: “(Trevor Phillips’ comments are a) blatant example of victim blaming. Excusing every racist who perpetrated & enabled the abuse she experienced because apparently she didn’t ‘do Black’ right.”

In her Netflix docuseries, Meghan said “most people don’t treat me like a ‘black woman’”.

She also complained about Hollywood, saying that she wasn’t black enough for black roles or white enough for white roles.