Image: Mariam Malik
Biography of Meghan Markle
Esha Bagora
‘Meghan Markle’ has become a household name across the world over the last couple of years as she continues to break tradition and trailblaze a new path for the women of tomorrow. A recent explosive interview with Oprah skyrocketed her fame as well as brought awareness and insight to many issues that women regularly face, but are very stigmatized and not talked about as much as they should be. Not only has she done that, but throughout her acting career and childhood, she has regularly advocated for gender equality and various other pressing issues that are prominent today.
Meghan Markle was born on August 4th, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Her parents divorced when she was 6, and when she was 11, she wrote a letter to several congressmen and Hilary Clinton ( the first lady at the time ) about the sexism present in an ad for dish soap that aired on National Television. Inspired by her will for gender equality and the sheer determination in her, P&G, the company who produced the ad, changed it so all the terms and images used were gender-neutral. In 1999, she graduated from Immaculate Heart High School, went to college at Northwestern that fall, and joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She went on to graduate with a double degree in theater and international communications. Markle had considered a career in politics her junior year after interning at a US embassy in Buenos Aires but didn’t score high enough on the standard tests.
From that point on, Markle began her acting career. At first, she struggled since she said she felt “too black for the white roles” and “too white for the black roles”, referencing her mixed-race ethnicity. Despite her struggles, she landed her first TV role in 2002 on General Hospital and continued to play small roles in movies and tv shows. Markle’s big break was in 2011, where she began to portray Rachel Zane on Suits. Alongside her acting duties, Markle also acted as the global ambassador for World Vision, the world’s largest children-focused charity. She taught kids in schools in Rwanda and India, and she made a difference in so many people’s lives. Her work in these developing nations inspired her to write a piece for Times magazine about menstruation stigma and its effects on growing girls in third-world countries. 2015, she also became a U.N. Women’s Advocate for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership. Her activism involvement rose higher from there, but she stepped down from her duties after she became a member of the royal family.
However, soon after Markle and her husband launched global programs to eradicate poverty. During a tour of Africa, they announced more projects designed to protect African forests and provide grant money for technological advances. During the same trip, Markle and her husband worked with members of CAMFED (The Campaign for Female Education Association ) and highlighted and boosted their work on their respective social media platforms.
When she was pregnant with her son Archie, rather than accept gifts from the people of England, she encouraged them to donate to her favorite charities. This incentive raised millions of dollars to expedite solutions to many problems in and around the world. In April of 2020, Markle and her family introduced their new nonprofit Archwell, whose installment has been stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a recent explosive interview with Oprah, Markle brought issues such as dealing with suicidal thoughts, racism within the royal family, and many more to light, allowing conversations about “taboo” topics to occur. Meghan Markle is an inspiration to all and has done countless wonderful things that have impacted so many people. As someone who has recently begun rooting for her, I truly cannot wait to see how else Meghan Markle chooses to change the world.
Works Cited
Haynes, Clarence. “Meghan Markle.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 8 Mar. 2021, www.biography.com/royalty/meghan-markle.
“Meghan Markle's Charity Work.” World Vision, www.worldvision.org.uk/who-we-are/celebrity-supporters/meghan-markles-charity-work/.
Thelwell, Kim. “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Global Activism.” The Borgen Project, Kim Thelwell Https://Borgenproject.org/Wp-Content/Uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.Jpg, 5 Nov. 2020, borgenproject.org/prince-harry-and-meghan-markles-global-activism/#:~:text=Prior%20to%20her%20marriage%20to,an%20ambassador%20for%20World%20Vision.
Writer: Esha Bagora
Editor: Sathvika Ganti and Ginger Asen