Meghan Markle ‘Really Concerned’ About Voter Suppression & ‘Scary’ Intimidation Tactics People Of Color Face
Meghan Markle shared her concern over voter suppression in a recent dialogue with feminist, author, and activist Gloria Steinem published on Yahoo! Life. It’s not the first time she touched on the subject, having previously encouraged citizens across the U.S. to take advantage of their rights. Meghan furthered that conversation with Steinem, specifically as it pertains to people of color.
During their discussion, the Duchess of Sussex touched on the importance of representation in politics and how the culture is “starting to break-through in a different way.” Even so, she still expressed her fears over the current climate, considering suspected tactics being taken ahead of the 2020 election.
“I’ve been really concerned about voter suppression. We can already see all the different challenges that we’re facing. I had the chance to speak with Stacey Abrams about this to try to get a better understanding of what to do, for example, if you’re a person of color and you’re in line, for potentially hours on end, and during that time someone tries to intimidate you to tell you that you should get out of line because you might be under surveillance or any number of intimidation tactics that are so scary,” Meghan said.
The duchess went on to explain how those tactics can unfortunately cause people to “relinquish [their] right to vote,” detailing the “frightening” effects that could ripple down the literal line at the polls.
Feeling those effects of suppression and discrimination is not a new thing for people of color in America. Meghan pointed out how she learned from Gloria that the 19th amendment only granted white women the right to vote in 1920, not everyone.
Gloria clarified the amendment’s specifics, noting that Native American and Asian women “came later” while African American women were only really granted suffrage with the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
The two, however, moved through their talk with a hint of hope, highlighting how “important” the next two months are for taking action while leaning toward empowerment. “If you don’t vote you don’t exist,” Gloria stated. “It’s the only place where we are all equal: in the voting booth.”
Meghan’s conversation with Gloria and push for voting rights marks her continued involvement in the political sphere. The 39-year-old broke with royal tradition in staying silent about politics when she announced her intention to vote in the 2020 election, The Inquisitr reported on August 11. While she didn’t explicitly state who she’ll be voting for the in November election, she encouraged women to vote for “the change that we all need and deserve.”
