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'George Floyd's Life Mattered,' Meghan Markle Tells Graduating Class Of Her Former High School

'You are going to lead with love.'
Meghan Markle on 'Good Morning America' earlier this year. Meghan Markle on 'Good Morning America' earlier this year. (Photo: ABC News/Frame Grab via Getty Images)

Duchess Meghan has spoken out in support of Black Lives Matter in a video message to the graduating class of her former Los Angeles high school.

In the clip, which was first shared with Black women's magazine Essence, the Duchess of Sussex encouraged the high schoolers to do something one of her former teachers told her: "Always remember to put others' needs above your own fears."

As she addressed the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many other Black Americans "whose names we don't know," she also told the class to "rebuild" and "lead with compassion" in the months and years ahead.

"What is happening in our country and in our state and our hometown of L.A., has been absolutely devastating. I wasn't sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that I wouldn't, or it would get picked apart. And I realized the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing because 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 know and whose names we don't know."

Markle also reminded those watching the clip that rebuilding is a constant process that requires empathy, compassion, listening and action.

"And I know sometimes people say, 'how many times do we have to rebuild?' But we are going to rebuild and rebuild and rebuild until it is rebuilt, because when the foundation is broken, so are we," she also said.

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"You are going to lead with love, you are going to lead with compassion, you are going to use your voice. You are going to use your voice in a stronger way than you've ever been able to because most of you are 18 or are going to turn 18, so you're going to vote."

Earlier this week, a video of the 38-year-old from 2012 resurfaced online in light of the Black Lives Matter protests and the outrage over the deaths of Floyd, Taylor, David McAtee, Tony McDade.

In that clip, Markle discussed how anti-Black racism has affected her life.

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