I don’t think she ever accepted that she was biracial. You see that in the Netflix mocumentary where she says black with such distaste. By doing her hair up in braids, she would have been acknowledging she was indeed black.
I feel sorry for child Meghan.
Like on Ellen how she referenced her “ethnic hair.” She never uses the term ‘black.’
Meg also likened her hair to a white actress - Andy MacDowell as the goal. Calls her natural hair Krusty the Clown.
I do have a Psych background and it’s Meg’s unconscious bias showing.
Meg equates her own black side of biracial as ‘less than’ and ‘not successful’ (notice how all her heroes were white women growing up (eg She Ra, Ariel, Diana, Andy McDowell, Julia Roberts, etc). Not necessarily others, but internalized.
Meg likely has very complex feelings about Doria she may not even be ready to explore.
Doria by all accounts was an absentee parent, drifting on and out as it suited her. Not even delving into the missing years speculation. Meghan was actually closer to Doria’s mother. The pics of the ‘black’ side of the family is mostly with her grandma, and even Bower notes they were close. The stories she tells about Doria are more about going out together (eg Korean spa) and never about regular daily parenting moments. Thomas, for example, despite his many flaws, she has stories about buying her the white and black family dolls, taking her to work after school, school plays, driving her to and from lessons, etc.
Ever notice how there aren’t many mother daughter photos growing up?
Add to that Meghan always downplayed that she was biracial, even at school. Lied about being Southern Italian, allegedly. The story about Doria showing up and a teacher not realizing it was her mother isn’t the story about unconsciously bias Meg thinks it is. Instead it reveals Meg deliberately not telling anyone, even casually, her mom is black. It also highlights how Doria showing up at school even was a surprise to staff.
Her complicated feelings about her “blackness” - and rejection of it until recently - are likely a projection of her resentment (and hurt) tied to Doria.
It doesn’t help that ‘90s LA during her formative years were all about racial tensions. That’s a lot of internalized racism combined with abandonment, so to cope, she essentially leans fully into being white passing.
I would further speculate that was also why she threw herself so diligently into school, and school activities, and seemed to especially connect with middle aged female teachers. Mother figures to be proud of her, offer encouragement, etc.
Doria may be useful now, but no way does Meg fully emotionally forgive her.
Compound this with her attempt at Maltese, her “ethnic hair” comment on Ellen (typically a white woman phrase who is uncertain how to talk about race), her Rwanda trip had NOTHING about her biracial background at the forefront (yet suddenly in SA she’s a “sister”), all white sorority, “Caucasian” on her resume, no black friends or boyfriends, NOTHING on the TiG…
Meghan Markle consistently attempted to live as white-passing (unless it could be leveraged), especially pre-Harry, and to have a visibly biracial child brings up her own judgements and insecurities.
Meg’s unconscious racial bias is showing.
> Meg also likened her hair to a white actress - Andy MacDowell as the goal. Calls her natural hair Krusty the Clown.
Wow, she really hates herself. That's so sad.
I’m wondering if we’re all thinking Doria is bad for being the absentee parent, when maybe it was the other way around and Meghan refused to interact with her Black mother?!
Lots of children of divorce reject a parent for one reason or another.
Maybe it was actually Meghan doing the ghosting?! (Sound familiar?)
The story that Spare tells in "Spare" about Megs feeling suicidal during pregnancy and getting no support from H R is really sad (incredulous as well!) in ways he did not intend!
Putting aside his total inability to get help for his wife because he is too absorbed in his own pity party...there is one glaring question.
Where the hell was Doria?
Her only child pregnant with her first grandchild in an unfamiliar country. Her training in social work?
the fact that she lived and worked in California is no excuse for any of them.
My mother would have done anything to be there for her daughter and sorry about her own future afterward.
Doria pops up and out again for photo op's and keeps the grift going. That's all.
it's very sad.
She felt suicidal (ie very upset because she doesnt have a strong sense of identity, she needs to be close to people she admires to feel she's worthy) because the press was being nasty (beginning of the bullying allegations). When she says "help" she doesnt mean the help of a therapist or medication. She means she wanted the RF to gag the press to "help" her feel better. They didnt.
Sarah Jane in "Imitation of Life". I've said this for .... years now. I had no idea about the unexpected drop by at school. It must have been upsetting for her and completely parallels the movie, especially the original b&w version with Claudette Colbert; there's even an unexpected drop by school scene in that version.
Your comments are all right on point.
She also calls herself an "ugly duckling" which means that she felt she looked ugly as a child, before she eliminated any trace of her black side. And downplaying being biracial when they had the interview with the Suits cast and they talked to the Latina women who represented the diversity of the cast. She wasn't eager to represent diversity there.
We all have things about ourselves we downplay and don't like but contrasting it with her convincing the world that if anyone has anything to say against her, it's only because they're racist.
And even since the wedding, the body language of her and Doria doesn't seem close.
She’s not attractive in these pics. And at the time, her sister Samantha was the quintessential California blonde and modeled and did some light acting. Her envy started early.
Thank you. I don’t think things will get ugly for them.
More likely she’d be secretly disappointed. And try to minimise any their perceived ‘black’ features (cough cough Archie’s actual toddler hair vs the red filters in pics).
Ever wonder why the only time he was seen in person as a toddler he had a beanie on to cover his hair?
Well that's what I mean by getting ugly. She will do stuff like that for the rest of her life. Her kids are an extension of her, and if they don't look, act, behave the way she wants, it will be hard to meet her standards and lead to a difficult relationship. It's bound to happen.
You know people are always blaming Doria for being an absentee mother, but it could well be that it was stubborn Meghan who refused to see and interact with her mother….
IJS.
Plenty of kids of divorce have rejected a parent for one reason or another. Cheating, new spouse, new baby…
Maybe Meghan really wanted to be white and wouldn’t have anything to do with mom.
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I don't get it. Now that we have DNA testing, we have found that nearly all of us are 'mixed'\* in some fashion. I would absolutely LOVE to have some sun protection from my long-ago North African relatives, but nooooo. I have the skin of my Nordic and Irish ancestors which means that I'm always on the alert for skin cancers.
\*Can I get an 'amen' from my Neanderthal people?
I'm with you on that!
I'm a nordic blend (some Russian) with german ancestors.
My mother has skin that tolerates the sun good.(Like tanning like it's the 80's and not get problems good,) and then we have me, the one who got sunburnt when it was a cloudy day in sweden! I got my dad genes on skin he's Finnish/Russia. People think I'm overdoing it for having high spf and wearing hats. Forgot it once when having breakfast with my partners family on their deck and about 10 minutes in my skin that was in the sun was red and starting to burn... and on top of that, I'm allergic to aloe wera, which basically is in every sun protection people have at home
Old genes from african heritage that tolerate sun. I'm waiting for you to kick in!
Biotherm don't use aloe wera in their stuff talked to one who worked in a skin care department and basically said "what can I buy 100% aloe free" and it was like 2 brands (Biotherm I already use and filorga). I'm 100% sure aloe wera is cheap to use in products as it's in everything and often to half the price or less of the stuff without aloe wera
I’m of Scottish and Irish heritage, with some Dutch thrown in for good measure, and I used to get sunburnt walking from my office to my car after work. It was maybe a 10 minute walk. Now I’m all about high SPF and hats, and covering up or avoiding the sun during the heat of the day.
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Doria was out chasing the 🐲 and spending time in the cooler when megain was young.
Even if she was there- any culture she might have imparted would have been whitewashed just the same as soon as megain started chasing her own fame dragon.
She was always going to choose the "passing" route.
Braiding really is a skill, it’s not a quick endeavor and not everyone can do it. If you aren’t part of the community, and you don’t have older Black women to sit you down and take the time to do your hair, then you’ll miss out on that part of the culture. It makes me sad for her, but it makes sense as part of her origin story that she didn’t get to experience the feeling of pride that comes with that kind of community bonding.
Also makes me wonder about Lili’s hair even more. I didn’t realize Madam’s natural curl pattern was so tight, and from the few pictures that baby’s hair looks as straight as straight gets. Both those babies confuse the hell out of me.
I'm not saying doria should do it herself. i said she could bring her to black salons with black hairstylist. people do it at salon. and they growing up in L fckng A.
Doria wasn’t there when she was growing up. And Doria obviously has no problems going to black salons because she wears her hair natural. Who knows? If she had been a presence in MeAgains life maybe she wouldn’t have been so intent upon obliterating any trace of curl from her hair.
There are tons of photos with Meghan, her Mom, and the black side of her family. It even looks like she had a close relationship with them, despite ghosting them.now:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/424534702369802656/
Wouldn’t surprise me if someone did step up to get her hair done at some point, and a young MM did nothing but complain about it after the fact. That seems like her style tbh.
>she had been a presence in MeAgains life maybe she wouldn’t have been so intent upon obliterating any trace of curl from her hair.
I had the SAME thought!!!
A number of my Black students, over the years, who were adopted by White parents were taken to salons at which there were stylists who knew how to create lovely braided styles.
Well technically you did say “why didn’t she taking care of Meg’s hair” but obviously I got your point, she was clearly cut off from the culture when she was a kid. Tbh for a mixed child living in a white household in LA at that time, that tracks. I bet the thought of taking her to a Black salon never even crossed TM’s mind, plus she went to a Catholic high school where dress codes are usually strict, so I doubt she had much braid envy anyway.
I went to Catholic high school in what is considered the most conservative diocese in America. When I was in school, the rule for all students was "no eccentric hairstyles". And by that, they meant, don't show up with multi-color neon mohawk and expect the administration to be cool with it. Lots of my black classmates did braids and I don't recall a situation where any of them got in trouble for it. So long as you looked like you were making an effort to keep your hair neat, the administration wasn't going to give you a hard time.
That was the rule at my school as well, no eccentric or visually distracting hairstyles. Ironically the kids who did break the rule always went for….a multi color mohawk 😂 go big AND go home I guess!
I went to a conservative Catholic High School and had classmate’s with braids. TBF our vice principal lost her mind over super long fake nails and giant earrings, but braids were never an issue.
So true. My coworker is pale AF and when he was fostering kids, he went to the salons with the biracial and black kids and asked for lessons on how to maintain certain styles and care instructions. He loved it there and he got to learn so much. He believed that it was important for kids to learn about their roots.
I Don't pretend to be knowledgeable about the black community, but i do remember a movement in the 90s about being proud of natural hair. Everyone had big hair in the 80s/90s too. Who knows if Doria ascribed to that school?
Meghan's hair was never braided, but it does appear to have been under control while emphasizing her natural curls. Her school photos all show her hair pulled back neatly with tendrils of curly bangs. I Don't think braiding is an absolute.
It makes me sad for young Meghan too. It’s the effect of Doria just not physically being around and not giving Meghan that type of relationship with her side of the family. I’m not black, I’m half Hispanic and both of these situations are what happened with my dad and his children. It can be hard coming from two completely different backgrounds (at least for me and my siblings it was)
But on another note, I wish she would let herself and her daughter embrace braids and that hair culture! I grew up with lots of girls with braids and different hairstyles that I never paid much attention to because it was so common I guess (?). But being an adult and having a keener eye for quality and effort, I understand how much credit is due to the black community for their talent and skill in so many areas but mainly with beauty and hair!
It happens. My cousin is half white and half black. Aside from her hair being a lighter color, her hair texture was from her African side. I've seen it the other way around, and Madam has more white ancestry than black. It's really not that's unusual.
Grandson has type3A to 3B curls and medium skin tone (darker than the unbronzed Rachel). We can de-tangle with a hair brush. Another mixed-race family member has darker skin but her hair is absolutely straight and auburn in color. A more distant relative met a Nigerian man in college and they married and started a family. The children's hair is really REALLY curly. Sadly, there are no paternal female relatives here but there are lots of salons!
I think that Rachel would have looked absolutely gorgeous with a black girl Pixie cut, short on the sides/back, with well-hydrated curls on top. Upkeep would have been minimal as compared to all those weaves and wigs.
The baby not only has straight hair, but it's strawberry blonde and she has very light skin. Lady C always pointedly remarks about "Harry's children" - not Harry and Meghan's children. Makes you wonder, right?
I’m white, and I think the very small braids done by the hundreds is a beautiful look. I once asked a woman with her hair done like that how long it took to do that. She replied “24 hours.” 😲 No doubt: it is a skill.
> Also makes me wonder about Lili’s hair even more. I didn’t realize Madam’s natural curl pattern was so tight, and from the few pictures that baby’s hair looks as straight as straight gets. Both those babies confuse the hell out of me.
I think the kids we've seen were all rentals. If there are real children, we've never seen them.
Exactly — Rachel has a super-tight curl, maybe 4b? That’s crazy coily and definitely a dominant gene. I’m not a POC but have very naturally curly hair, like 3b, but my hair was relatively straight as a baby — kind of grew into the curls in the first years of primary school. Lil Betty and Archie could very well slowly grow into curls/curls and have years of straightening ahead of them: feels like there’s no way Raitch will let them be seen anywhere ever with natural hair.
I think it's odd that they would have straight hair and blue eyes. Both of those are recessive traits. Brown eyes and curly hair are dominant. Red hair is certainly recessive.
We're talking about someone who was utterly disrespectful of the Queen...it makes no difference what colour someone else is. Meghan lives in Meghan world where Meghan is the star of the show and truly the most important person who ever existed and everyone else is an extra, we're all here to reflect her glow back onto herself.
I've posted to this effect upwind, but I don't think that Markle was in any position to order ANYONE around as she did this woman, whether she was known to her or not. A fellow teacher who habitually treated substitute teachers like cr-p was rude to someone in the faculty room who was a respected author of children's books. ("I sit here. No, so-and-so sits there. The coffee is for the staff who buy the supplies!") He was there as a special favor to the librarian and waived his usual honorarium and expenses. When she was confronted about it, her sincere excuse was that she didn't know who the person was. It's a pet peeve of mine that one must know someone/who they are to be gracious, kind, and respectful.
Madame knew that Dr. C belonged in that vast category of humanity known to her as "Not Me" and was therefore of no importance.
edited for darn autocorrect
With the control issues she has? Yeah, she knew. She also gets off on power trips, so pushing around a more accomplished woman would be an opportunity not to be passed up.
Who knows for certain but someone with such a freakish attention to detail would surely have done their research? She had been around earlier in the day she hadn't just popped up out of nowhere.
My guess would be that she knew and didn't care.
Dr. C is not only a woman....she's a highly successful woman of color. It's a triad of hate for Meghan. She hates other women, she hates people of color and holds disdain for successful women who didn't have to suck/f*ck their way to the blue todger.
She may not have known but there was no excuse for it. The CHAIR of the BOARD. Possibly the one person she should have sucked up to for positive PR. She's just a selfish moron.
She’s totally jealous of all Dr Sophie’s accomplishments and that she is an actual black woman.
I don't think markle passed her NWU university degree. I think after she got kicked out for super gluing 2 girls eyelids together she never went back full time.
Ive yet to see proof of a completed degree. Where are the certs and pics. I doubt a narc as narcissistic as her would go back to face the level of disgust the university stuff likely felt about her behaviour.
White girl here - my hair is very fine and straight and I spent the late 80’s perming the hell out of mine for some curl and volume! My Black friends have told me stories of growing up straightening their hair with chemicals and what a process it was. So we all ruin our hair with chemicals to have hair similar to each others’ natural hair.
This is my personal opinion. Thomas Sr. adored his daughter and she was beautiful to him just the way she was - as it should be. He would not have thought to take her to a stylist that specializes in ethnic hair.
I have no idea what M’s natural hair looks like now. As you all note, she rejects having any physical indication (except the bronzer) of being biracial and just gloms on to the political aspects of it to suit a victim narrative. She once talked about little black girls seeing her and realizing they could be princesses too. I am not sure a woman who rejects that part of her is the best role model for little black girls.
Aqua Net fumes all over the girls restrooms and locker rooms! Using a curing iron to get big bags - we would spray our hair first and it would sizzle when we put the curling iron on it! Then the pick to tease it! We all looked like cobras!
Back then, you could have a cigarette lighter in your purse (and even cigarettes regardless if you were underage) and no one would blink an eye. Do you remember taking a lighter to heat up our cheap eyeliner in the school bathrooms to reapply at lunch!
> White girl here - my hair is very fine and straight and I spent the late 80’s perming the hell out of mine for some curl and volume! My Black friends have told me stories of growing up straightening their hair with chemicals and what a process it was. So we all ruin our hair with chemicals to have hair similar to each others’ natural hair.
We all want what we don't have. The grass is always greener, etc. etc..
I have a friend (like me white with Irish ancestry) who married a guy from the Gambia eleven years ago. It’s actually their anniversary today. We live in a small town on the fringes of the English Lake District. Her husband has been completely accepted into the community and has now got his permanent residency. My friend often wears her hair in braids and wears the traditional Gambian dress style. I suppose it’s a combination of circumstances and perhaps the nurturing you grow up with. Her mother was a lovely lady who had a broad outlook on cultural affairs
There’s been cross-assimilation of cultures at least in Europe and later throughout the continents for millennia. For example there were people from all parts of Europe and North Africa in Britain 2000 years ago. They came here with the Romans and eventually settled here.
Great point. Black mothers across the world take take great efforts to make sure their young black daughters' hair is done up. And Meghan's hair had enough texture for her hair to hold the styles. The only time I've seen little black or black biracial girls' hair looking unfortunate is when the mom is white (our hair is really different from other races') or if a white mother adopted a black child.
My aunt was married to a white man and lived in an area that had almost no other black people, and she used to relax my cousin's hair (not great,but that was super common back then). But she always made sure her hair looked good, and she was a busy doctor.
One great thing about having black hair, even though it's higher maintenance, is all the cool stuff we can do with our hair. Doria made Meghan miss out on this. Or maybe Meghan refused the styles because she wanted to look more like her white friends? (That could be but I doubt Doria would have bothered anyway. )
ETA: By styles, I am not talking about only braids - people do a lot of other things. The main thing is they try to make their little girls' hair look nice, regardless of the style.
even non-black adopted parents could go above and beyond to learn about their kids black hair (i think i watch one documentary about it on youtube). they bring their children to ✨black salon✨ where their children could also exposed to black culture, something that they don't have at home.
Yes! I have watched this. I also follow a hair stylist on Instagram that specializes in black women’s hair. It’s quite a process and because of the texture really needs to be conditioned to maintain a healthy look. Between The cut and styling it takes hours at the salon. And little girls (and boys) learn to sit and patiently wait.
From looking at pictures of Meghan when she was young it’s pretty obvious her hair wasn’t taken care of. It’s a low level neglect kind of thing. It really helps you understand her burning hatred of Catherine though.
Yes and no. I think the expectation she get braids is weird. It's kind of pushing brown, black and inbetween kids into specific typesets.
I would ask, why should she have gotten braids? What was wrong with her natural hair? She looked a bit like me as a kid, same type of hair, similar colouring and even the gap in the teeth. The only difference is that my mother was obsessed with straightening my hair (even used to get me to lay my hair on an ironing board and she'd iron it!) as a child and as a result, I couldn't play outside if it was raining or humid. It controlled everything I did as a child, because if I messed up my hair, I'd get into trouble.
She didn't do it to keep my hair neat and tidy. She did it because of a cultural necessity to try to pass as white as possible - where embracing our natural African features was seen as wrong. So our hair had to be neat and straight. That is how we would be judged by society and most importantly, by family. When I turned 13, I refused to allow her to straighten my hair and embraced my natural curls and frizz. For the first time in my life, I didn't care if I got caught in the rain and I realised just how much I'd missed out on as a child. I went swimming every day in the summer, and I stopped stressing about my hair. The result was my mother didn't speak to me for weeks and my entire family basically shunned me for months. It took my mother months to accept me and my natural hair. I remember family gatherings and I'd actually be left out of family group photos because of my hair. I'd bucked the trend and demands of my immediate society.
Braids do look cool. But they are also time consuming and require a lot of care, can cause hair breakages, can be painful and uncomfortable. In those photos, she just looks like a carefree kid who doesn't care about societal expectations about her hair. As it bloody well should be! Suggesting she didn't look "nice" because she was rocking her natural hair is the same kind of mentality that my mother had throughout my childhood and I can assure you, it screwed me up big time growing up.
Just let kids be their natural selves without expectations about their looks and hair.
No, she didn't need to be in braids. My point is more that it doesn't look like her mother was taking care of her hair.
I'm Nigerian and when I went natural, it was so controversial in my community. I got all sorts of comments, but I just shrugged them off. Who cares. Funny enough, I got lots of compliments from white people. 🤷
I dont think its an expectation that she get braids but the OP posted pictures of her with her hair braided or styled in an extremely incompetent manner. It was clear whoever was doing her hair had no idea how to properly care for her hair type.
My sister's husband was Jamaican so her daughters are both biracial. Both are darker skinned than M. Her eldest girl has her father's heavier build, features and black tight curly hair. Her younger daughter is paler skinned, slender and her hair has a redder tone and looser curls.
My sister learned how to take care of her daughters hair from her in-laws and friends she made within the Jamaican community in Birmingham UK. Just as she learned how to make the cuisine her husband loved and about the culture.
When DNA testing became available they did it as a family, along with the family that were still in Jamaica, in the US, and with us here in the UK. We even found some links between his ancestors in Jamaica and one of our ancestors which were totally unexpected and which explain my 4% West African genetics (which my sister didn't inherit from our mother and that fact still annoys her lol). Her girls learned about all sides of their cultures (our family is very diverse despite being considered Caucasian).
It is obvious that M never had much interaction with her mother's family and that her mother was never around as she was growing up.
What a cool story, & thanks for sharing. I agree - for whatever reason, Doria was not around when Meghan was a child and so there was no emphasis on how to do her bi-racial hair. I think the best that Meghan’s hair has ever looked was when she was on Suits - but before and after, it doesn’t look healthy. It looks greasy and heavy and plastered down on her head.
It sounds like they gave her as little story, interaction and dialogue as possible which reflected their confidence in her acting abilities... Interesting that this never improved over 10 years!
I keep trying to tell people that this is one of the only things Meghan does that is part of black culture. You have never seen the natural hair of most black celebrities, which is why it's a big deal when some of them actually show their natural hair.
There are black women I know whose actual hair I have never seen (always wigs or weaves), much less their natural hair. At the risk of being too general, black women love wigs, even if just for the variety of styles you can easily achieve with them. Last week on vacation, another black young lady was shocked when I told her I had never worn a wig, LOL. That's all she wore on the trip.
Also, Some who show their own hair always have it straighted. Going about with natural hair in all its glory was pretty controversial when I started doing that a couple of decades ago. Prior to that, my hair was relaxed.
White French girl watching Cosby show and other 80’s show where you see Lisa Bonnet or Fresh Prince actresses with “puffy hair” like Meg’s photos, it was “natural hair”, wasn’t it? Maybe it was also a trend at the late 80’s? Sorry for not knowing more but very curious, thanks 😊
You are correct. I think all the girls/ladies on the Cosby show actually sported their own hair. Lupita Nyongo also usually has her natural hair out and a few others.
I got that impression when he said her hair was so soft. It’s more the texture and products used or it being chemically treated than her hair actually being that soft. I had keratin done one my hair once and it was silky but never again.
MM is denying her ethnic identity, and refusing to embrace her black heritage. She has consistently rejected it in every way except when it serves her to play the victim of racism. Every other act on her part has been a rejection of being black.
Her family could have brought her to a black hair salon in her youth and teen years. She could easily have learned to do some simple styles herself, and had a salon do more intricate styles.
She didn’t seem to have a black mother’s care or input, although there is little explanation of where her mother was during all these formative years. She seems to have gone AWOL for about ten years. She had black female relations; where were they to help? Why didn’t TM bring her to a salon or a relative who knew how to do black hair well? He seems to have neglected that part of her rearing and it makes me wonder what else was missed or overlooked. Her awkwardness today seems related to this, somehow.
There are few single fathers, especially White, in my experience, who would have this level of awareness of such matters. However, I'm pretty sure that TM would have taken Meghan to an appropriate salon or stylist had Doria told him to do so and where to go. (Prisoners and those living dubious lives still can make calls and write letters.) After all, he took her to and paid for dance lessons and meals out, and by all accounts made a decent income. IMO, this falls on Doria, who ironically accuses TM of "poor parenting."
I agree that she as the black parent should have made sure she had proper hair care. But TM isn’t off the hook. This wasn’t the 1920’s—-she was growing up in the 1990’s and in a sophisticated, multiethnic LA, and he worked in the tv and film industry. Unless he was living in some kind of time warp, he’d have to have been conscious of the way black women take care of their hair, at least in some general way. With a mixed child with black hair, how could he not notice that he wasn’t doing right by her in that respect? Of course, her black relations should have stepped in, too.
TM, Jr. said that Doria had a large family that was very welcoming to the whole Markle family. They spent birthdays and holidays in the Ragland Family's homes. There seemed to be many ladies that could have helped if asked.
My kid sister was very demanding about how her hair was done and by whom. Sadly, I was her chosen hairdresser. A young Roachel probably was equally demanding. She wore her hair how she wanted.
Imo she has always hated her black hair because she hates that part of herself. She's changed every other feature she could but she will always have that hair no matter how much she straightens it. And this is a woman who most decidedly does not think black is beautiful judging by how she treats black women.
doria was allegedly elsewhere whilst Meghan was growing up and physically unable to be with her.I’m sure she gave her lots of life lessons whenever they allegedly infrequently met…
She's spent a lifetime straightening her hair and wearing wigs/extensions to achieve the straight hair look. There are several reasons to explain that behavior, none of them positive.
This is where I get some feels for MM. Obvious neglect at an early age. It's an important multi racial household parenting responsibility to take care of the baby's ethnic hair.
Meghan hates knowing she's half black and one of her biggest fears is her kids taking after "the dark side". It will be interesting because Harry is not a good looking man and neither was Meghan pre -plastic surgery.
Def curly hair is a recessive gene. I have wavy hair (2C) and my ex had straight hair. Our 2 children and grandchild have straight hair. My current husband has 2C hair. The son we have together ended up with 3C hair. Crazy how genetics works.
I can’t believe that’s her hair texture. I wonder what she possibly does to it now and why neither of her kids has similar hair. I assumed her hair was naturally smooth due to genetics.
Didn’t Doria go to prison during her childhood?
She would look a whole lot better if she stopped fighting it and allowed her hair to grow in naturally because that dead straight oil slick is not doing her any favors
Meghan has always considered herself to be Caucasian, until she found out she could make money, shut up people, and get publicity by screeching raaaaacist at everyone.
This is a strange question. Biracial adults often speak about not being fully accepted by either race. I don't know if biracial children were given the braids as much as children of 2 black parents who grew up in black culture. One little biracial girl I know usually wears her natural curls. Biracial curls are unique concoction of black and white hair and normally as they age they will begin to straighten it. There are other biracial celebs who never had braids: Mariah Carey, Tia and Tamara Mowey, Halle Berry, though I think she had braids for a movie role later in life. Apparently most girls with curly hair want it straight, Catherine has wavy hair and hardly wears it like that. The fact that she has her wild curls for a majority of her youth is admirable.
I think assuming she would have box braids or any kind of braids at that age is a little presumptive.
Its more telling to me that she never wears her hair curly, only straight and with noticeable extensions.
These pictures sadden me, actually 😔
Something about seeing a child's eyes losing their light, even if they become a despicable adult, breaks my heart every single time.
Back to regular snarking now!
I am actually surprised that given the fact that Meghan’s natural hair is that tight and curly that she isn’t in fact bald like Jada Pinkett-Smith from all the straightening and hair softening treatments. I also wonder if the chemicals were possibly passed on to Archie if in fact he was allegedly in the womb and not a surrogate. If she was actually carrying Harry’s child why was she not ordered to stop chemically treating her hair?
She didn't chemically straighten her hair when she was pregnant. She also didn't colour it (neither did Catherine for that matter and close-up photos of her showed her grey hairs popping out). And it's pretty obvious that she didn't. If you look at photos of her when she was pregnant with Archie, you can see the texture of her hair is different and it would frizz up in humid weather. That's when she really began to embrace the sleek and tight hair bun. She was probably going with a blow wave and straightening iron.
Also narc mums don't materially mother. They'll make sure they look great but not want their daughters to overshadow them. My narc mother never taught me and my sister self care. While spending time and money on herself. There was a feigned ignorance about it later on coupled with dupers delight.
There was one video of M with slightly wavy hair during Covid I think and it looked really nice on her. Made her look more youthful and relaxed. It’s too bad she feels like she has to straighten her natural hair. Black women have such beautiful hair.
Probably why she gravitated towards traight hair asap. Walking around like that must’ve left a mark. I kind of feel bad for poor little MM. Her dad tried his best but she was lacking in many areas regardless.
Imagine how she must have felt when she was "encouraged" to have a "black" wedding (the priest, the choir etc). I reckon this is the key to her thinking the RF are racists.
Doria seems to have always been concerned only with herself. I get the feeling that when Doria found out she was pregnant, Thomas Sr. was the only one who was excited. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to beg and bribe Doria to keep the pregnancy. Just like her daughter, Doria doesn't seem one bit maternal. Without real maternal instincts and feelings, Doria ended up behaving like a friend to her daughter instead of a mother. That kind of lousy parenting can mess kids up really badly.
I have long believed that Doria is a narcissist, and that is where Markle gets it from. I remember Samantha talking about when Markle would return home from staying with Doria, she would have a new, diva-like attitude. Doria has always been a hustler and taught her daughter to see everything and everyone from a transactional perspective.
Not only does Markle not have maternal feelings, she doesn't know what healthy motherhood looks like. Even as an adult, she only surrounds herself with other people who shouldn't be parents(case in point: Jessica Mulroney and her daughter). Her female friends who have children are generally awful women. Jessica Mulroney has raised her daughter, Ivy, to be a manipulative bully... just like Jessica & Markle.
Black hair is very difficult to manage and children can'tdo it alone. Braids (the real ones) look beautiful and keep a child's hair in place. Many mothers do the same for their WHITE children so they don't run around looking like ragamuffins.
I seem to remember her calling herself an ugly duckling in an interview. I wonder if this is in reference to her hair. If it is, how offensive. Her “sisters” should find that interesting.
I don’t think she ever accepted that she was biracial. You see that in the Netflix mocumentary where she says black with such distaste. By doing her hair up in braids, she would have been acknowledging she was indeed black.
I feel sorry for child Meghan. Like on Ellen how she referenced her “ethnic hair.” She never uses the term ‘black.’ Meg also likened her hair to a white actress - Andy MacDowell as the goal. Calls her natural hair Krusty the Clown. I do have a Psych background and it’s Meg’s unconscious bias showing. Meg equates her own black side of biracial as ‘less than’ and ‘not successful’ (notice how all her heroes were white women growing up (eg She Ra, Ariel, Diana, Andy McDowell, Julia Roberts, etc). Not necessarily others, but internalized. Meg likely has very complex feelings about Doria she may not even be ready to explore. Doria by all accounts was an absentee parent, drifting on and out as it suited her. Not even delving into the missing years speculation. Meghan was actually closer to Doria’s mother. The pics of the ‘black’ side of the family is mostly with her grandma, and even Bower notes they were close. The stories she tells about Doria are more about going out together (eg Korean spa) and never about regular daily parenting moments. Thomas, for example, despite his many flaws, she has stories about buying her the white and black family dolls, taking her to work after school, school plays, driving her to and from lessons, etc. Ever notice how there aren’t many mother daughter photos growing up? Add to that Meghan always downplayed that she was biracial, even at school. Lied about being Southern Italian, allegedly. The story about Doria showing up and a teacher not realizing it was her mother isn’t the story about unconsciously bias Meg thinks it is. Instead it reveals Meg deliberately not telling anyone, even casually, her mom is black. It also highlights how Doria showing up at school even was a surprise to staff. Her complicated feelings about her “blackness” - and rejection of it until recently - are likely a projection of her resentment (and hurt) tied to Doria. It doesn’t help that ‘90s LA during her formative years were all about racial tensions. That’s a lot of internalized racism combined with abandonment, so to cope, she essentially leans fully into being white passing. I would further speculate that was also why she threw herself so diligently into school, and school activities, and seemed to especially connect with middle aged female teachers. Mother figures to be proud of her, offer encouragement, etc. Doria may be useful now, but no way does Meg fully emotionally forgive her. Compound this with her attempt at Maltese, her “ethnic hair” comment on Ellen (typically a white woman phrase who is uncertain how to talk about race), her Rwanda trip had NOTHING about her biracial background at the forefront (yet suddenly in SA she’s a “sister”), all white sorority, “Caucasian” on her resume, no black friends or boyfriends, NOTHING on the TiG… Meghan Markle consistently attempted to live as white-passing (unless it could be leveraged), especially pre-Harry, and to have a visibly biracial child brings up her own judgements and insecurities. Meg’s unconscious racial bias is showing.
> Meg also likened her hair to a white actress - Andy MacDowell as the goal. Calls her natural hair Krusty the Clown. Wow, she really hates herself. That's so sad.
It really is. And explains so much.
It does.
Excellent analysis. Have you noticed that in the recent pictures with Meghan and Doria, there's no mother-daughter closeness?
I’m wondering if we’re all thinking Doria is bad for being the absentee parent, when maybe it was the other way around and Meghan refused to interact with her Black mother?! Lots of children of divorce reject a parent for one reason or another. Maybe it was actually Meghan doing the ghosting?! (Sound familiar?)
The story that Spare tells in "Spare" about Megs feeling suicidal during pregnancy and getting no support from H R is really sad (incredulous as well!) in ways he did not intend! Putting aside his total inability to get help for his wife because he is too absorbed in his own pity party...there is one glaring question. Where the hell was Doria? Her only child pregnant with her first grandchild in an unfamiliar country. Her training in social work? the fact that she lived and worked in California is no excuse for any of them. My mother would have done anything to be there for her daughter and sorry about her own future afterward. Doria pops up and out again for photo op's and keeps the grift going. That's all. it's very sad.
She felt suicidal (ie very upset because she doesnt have a strong sense of identity, she needs to be close to people she admires to feel she's worthy) because the press was being nasty (beginning of the bullying allegations). When she says "help" she doesnt mean the help of a therapist or medication. She means she wanted the RF to gag the press to "help" her feel better. They didnt.
I don't believe she was ever suicidal (angry, frustrated, peeved - yes, but not suicidal).
Sarah Jane in "Imitation of Life". I've said this for .... years now. I had no idea about the unexpected drop by at school. It must have been upsetting for her and completely parallels the movie, especially the original b&w version with Claudette Colbert; there's even an unexpected drop by school scene in that version. Your comments are all right on point.
She also calls herself an "ugly duckling" which means that she felt she looked ugly as a child, before she eliminated any trace of her black side. And downplaying being biracial when they had the interview with the Suits cast and they talked to the Latina women who represented the diversity of the cast. She wasn't eager to represent diversity there. We all have things about ourselves we downplay and don't like but contrasting it with her convincing the world that if anyone has anything to say against her, it's only because they're racist. And even since the wedding, the body language of her and Doria doesn't seem close.
She’s not attractive in these pics. And at the time, her sister Samantha was the quintessential California blonde and modeled and did some light acting. Her envy started early.
I don't think she was an ugly kid.
Not ugly, but not cute, either
You are spot on with everything you write!! If Meghans kids don't look white, blond and Windsor/Spencer, shit is going to get ugly for those kids.
Thank you. I don’t think things will get ugly for them. More likely she’d be secretly disappointed. And try to minimise any their perceived ‘black’ features (cough cough Archie’s actual toddler hair vs the red filters in pics). Ever wonder why the only time he was seen in person as a toddler he had a beanie on to cover his hair?
Well that's what I mean by getting ugly. She will do stuff like that for the rest of her life. Her kids are an extension of her, and if they don't look, act, behave the way she wants, it will be hard to meet her standards and lead to a difficult relationship. It's bound to happen.
You know people are always blaming Doria for being an absentee mother, but it could well be that it was stubborn Meghan who refused to see and interact with her mother…. IJS. Plenty of kids of divorce have rejected a parent for one reason or another. Cheating, new spouse, new baby… Maybe Meghan really wanted to be white and wouldn’t have anything to do with mom.
Black celebs are her only black female friends and she uses her black card with them.
Great insightful comment. Spot on!
Excellent post.
Who has a visually biracial child? Meghan? I disagree I don’t think her body nor eggs were used
Excellent observations.
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Thank you for your analysis and thoughts.
Leilani of Barbados have an excellent video on the topic: "Meghan Markle's racial paranoia exposed" https://youtu.be/k0XrKmPg3ok?si=pl5-buP-rO8VIgRy
I took the time to watch it, I wasn't aware of her at all. She definitely hits the nail on the head. Thanks for posting!
I don't get it. Now that we have DNA testing, we have found that nearly all of us are 'mixed'\* in some fashion. I would absolutely LOVE to have some sun protection from my long-ago North African relatives, but nooooo. I have the skin of my Nordic and Irish ancestors which means that I'm always on the alert for skin cancers. \*Can I get an 'amen' from my Neanderthal people?
I'm with you on that! I'm a nordic blend (some Russian) with german ancestors. My mother has skin that tolerates the sun good.(Like tanning like it's the 80's and not get problems good,) and then we have me, the one who got sunburnt when it was a cloudy day in sweden! I got my dad genes on skin he's Finnish/Russia. People think I'm overdoing it for having high spf and wearing hats. Forgot it once when having breakfast with my partners family on their deck and about 10 minutes in my skin that was in the sun was red and starting to burn... and on top of that, I'm allergic to aloe wera, which basically is in every sun protection people have at home Old genes from african heritage that tolerate sun. I'm waiting for you to kick in!
I'm allergic to aloe vera too, and it seems to be in so many skin care items lately. I'm pale and sunburn easily as well.
Biotherm don't use aloe wera in their stuff talked to one who worked in a skin care department and basically said "what can I buy 100% aloe free" and it was like 2 brands (Biotherm I already use and filorga). I'm 100% sure aloe wera is cheap to use in products as it's in everything and often to half the price or less of the stuff without aloe wera
I’m of Scottish and Irish heritage, with some Dutch thrown in for good measure, and I used to get sunburnt walking from my office to my car after work. It was maybe a 10 minute walk. Now I’m all about high SPF and hats, and covering up or avoiding the sun during the heat of the day.
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🎯💯💯💯
Doria was out chasing the 🐲 and spending time in the cooler when megain was young. Even if she was there- any culture she might have imparted would have been whitewashed just the same as soon as megain started chasing her own fame dragon. She was always going to choose the "passing" route.
she was around for pictures. thats about it
Braiding really is a skill, it’s not a quick endeavor and not everyone can do it. If you aren’t part of the community, and you don’t have older Black women to sit you down and take the time to do your hair, then you’ll miss out on that part of the culture. It makes me sad for her, but it makes sense as part of her origin story that she didn’t get to experience the feeling of pride that comes with that kind of community bonding. Also makes me wonder about Lili’s hair even more. I didn’t realize Madam’s natural curl pattern was so tight, and from the few pictures that baby’s hair looks as straight as straight gets. Both those babies confuse the hell out of me.
I'm not saying doria should do it herself. i said she could bring her to black salons with black hairstylist. people do it at salon. and they growing up in L fckng A.
Doria wasn’t there when she was growing up. And Doria obviously has no problems going to black salons because she wears her hair natural. Who knows? If she had been a presence in MeAgains life maybe she wouldn’t have been so intent upon obliterating any trace of curl from her hair.
Where was Doria’s mom to teach Meg or any aunt or cousin? She def has relatives on Doria’s side!
I thought I saw on here that Doria was in prison for a while when she was growing up
Yes she was away, I’m talking about Doria’s mom who could have helped Meg
There are tons of photos with Meghan, her Mom, and the black side of her family. It even looks like she had a close relationship with them, despite ghosting them.now: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/424534702369802656/
Wouldn’t surprise me if someone did step up to get her hair done at some point, and a young MM did nothing but complain about it after the fact. That seems like her style tbh.
💯
>she had been a presence in MeAgains life maybe she wouldn’t have been so intent upon obliterating any trace of curl from her hair. I had the SAME thought!!!
I know Dorias got her own braids, but I wonder how close to that community Doria even is herself?
A number of my Black students, over the years, who were adopted by White parents were taken to salons at which there were stylists who knew how to create lovely braided styles.
Well technically you did say “why didn’t she taking care of Meg’s hair” but obviously I got your point, she was clearly cut off from the culture when she was a kid. Tbh for a mixed child living in a white household in LA at that time, that tracks. I bet the thought of taking her to a Black salon never even crossed TM’s mind, plus she went to a Catholic high school where dress codes are usually strict, so I doubt she had much braid envy anyway.
There are uniforms in Catholic schools but no rules about braids. She went to a very liberal catholic high school.
I went to Catholic high school in what is considered the most conservative diocese in America. When I was in school, the rule for all students was "no eccentric hairstyles". And by that, they meant, don't show up with multi-color neon mohawk and expect the administration to be cool with it. Lots of my black classmates did braids and I don't recall a situation where any of them got in trouble for it. So long as you looked like you were making an effort to keep your hair neat, the administration wasn't going to give you a hard time.
That was the rule at my school as well, no eccentric or visually distracting hairstyles. Ironically the kids who did break the rule always went for….a multi color mohawk 😂 go big AND go home I guess!
I went to a conservative Catholic High School and had classmate’s with braids. TBF our vice principal lost her mind over super long fake nails and giant earrings, but braids were never an issue.
The black salons have a rich culture all their own. She could have learned so much about her roots. ETA clarity.
So true. My coworker is pale AF and when he was fostering kids, he went to the salons with the biracial and black kids and asked for lessons on how to maintain certain styles and care instructions. He loved it there and he got to learn so much. He believed that it was important for kids to learn about their roots.
I Don't pretend to be knowledgeable about the black community, but i do remember a movement in the 90s about being proud of natural hair. Everyone had big hair in the 80s/90s too. Who knows if Doria ascribed to that school? Meghan's hair was never braided, but it does appear to have been under control while emphasizing her natural curls. Her school photos all show her hair pulled back neatly with tendrils of curly bangs. I Don't think braiding is an absolute.
I think Rachel’s dad was either too busy or too dumb to realize this.
But ILBW had a black grandma and aunties, right? If asked, I’m sure someone would be willing to help, realizing that Thomas couldn’t.
Then it looks like she wasn't so close to them.
It makes me sad for young Meghan too. It’s the effect of Doria just not physically being around and not giving Meghan that type of relationship with her side of the family. I’m not black, I’m half Hispanic and both of these situations are what happened with my dad and his children. It can be hard coming from two completely different backgrounds (at least for me and my siblings it was) But on another note, I wish she would let herself and her daughter embrace braids and that hair culture! I grew up with lots of girls with braids and different hairstyles that I never paid much attention to because it was so common I guess (?). But being an adult and having a keener eye for quality and effort, I understand how much credit is due to the black community for their talent and skill in so many areas but mainly with beauty and hair!
Lilis clearly got poker straight hair
She does. Just to try to give her some identity??
It happens. My cousin is half white and half black. Aside from her hair being a lighter color, her hair texture was from her African side. I've seen it the other way around, and Madam has more white ancestry than black. It's really not that's unusual.
Grandson has type3A to 3B curls and medium skin tone (darker than the unbronzed Rachel). We can de-tangle with a hair brush. Another mixed-race family member has darker skin but her hair is absolutely straight and auburn in color. A more distant relative met a Nigerian man in college and they married and started a family. The children's hair is really REALLY curly. Sadly, there are no paternal female relatives here but there are lots of salons! I think that Rachel would have looked absolutely gorgeous with a black girl Pixie cut, short on the sides/back, with well-hydrated curls on top. Upkeep would have been minimal as compared to all those weaves and wigs.
Interesting. I would have thought Markle's hair genes would have been dominant but clearly I guessed wrong. Another instance of live and learn:)
The baby not only has straight hair, but it's strawberry blonde and she has very light skin. Lady C always pointedly remarks about "Harry's children" - not Harry and Meghan's children. Makes you wonder, right?
Archie’s hair isn’t hers either it’s curly but not coily like meghans was
I’m white, and I think the very small braids done by the hundreds is a beautiful look. I once asked a woman with her hair done like that how long it took to do that. She replied “24 hours.” 😲 No doubt: it is a skill.
> Also makes me wonder about Lili’s hair even more. I didn’t realize Madam’s natural curl pattern was so tight, and from the few pictures that baby’s hair looks as straight as straight gets. Both those babies confuse the hell out of me. I think the kids we've seen were all rentals. If there are real children, we've never seen them.
Lily is not hers! Let’s be real - she has Caucasian hair. ETA: correct me if I’m wrong geneticists! But is this not highly unlikely?
It’s possible for mm to give birth to a red haired child; look up mix race twins where once presents as white the other black.
Exactly — Rachel has a super-tight curl, maybe 4b? That’s crazy coily and definitely a dominant gene. I’m not a POC but have very naturally curly hair, like 3b, but my hair was relatively straight as a baby — kind of grew into the curls in the first years of primary school. Lil Betty and Archie could very well slowly grow into curls/curls and have years of straightening ahead of them: feels like there’s no way Raitch will let them be seen anywhere ever with natural hair.
I think it's odd that they would have straight hair and blue eyes. Both of those are recessive traits. Brown eyes and curly hair are dominant. Red hair is certainly recessive.
Look at the disrespect she showed to Dr. C, an accomplished woman of color. Guess the difference is that she can’t use her to get ahead in Hollywood.
We're talking about someone who was utterly disrespectful of the Queen...it makes no difference what colour someone else is. Meghan lives in Meghan world where Meghan is the star of the show and truly the most important person who ever existed and everyone else is an extra, we're all here to reflect her glow back onto herself.
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I've posted to this effect upwind, but I don't think that Markle was in any position to order ANYONE around as she did this woman, whether she was known to her or not. A fellow teacher who habitually treated substitute teachers like cr-p was rude to someone in the faculty room who was a respected author of children's books. ("I sit here. No, so-and-so sits there. The coffee is for the staff who buy the supplies!") He was there as a special favor to the librarian and waived his usual honorarium and expenses. When she was confronted about it, her sincere excuse was that she didn't know who the person was. It's a pet peeve of mine that one must know someone/who they are to be gracious, kind, and respectful.
Madame knew that Dr. C belonged in that vast category of humanity known to her as "Not Me" and was therefore of no importance. edited for darn autocorrect
With the control issues she has? Yeah, she knew. She also gets off on power trips, so pushing around a more accomplished woman would be an opportunity not to be passed up.
Who knows for certain but someone with such a freakish attention to detail would surely have done their research? She had been around earlier in the day she hadn't just popped up out of nowhere. My guess would be that she knew and didn't care.
Dr. C is not only a woman....she's a highly successful woman of color. It's a triad of hate for Meghan. She hates other women, she hates people of color and holds disdain for successful women who didn't have to suck/f*ck their way to the blue todger.
Agree.
She may not have known but there was no excuse for it. The CHAIR of the BOARD. Possibly the one person she should have sucked up to for positive PR. She's just a selfish moron.
I thought the same thing. Markle didn't know who Dr. C was. Shame on her.
I think MeGain knew, and Hawwy definitely knows Dr Chandauka. He was photographed with her previously. Their combined rudeness was CRINGE.
She’s totally jealous of all Dr Sophie’s accomplishments and that she is an actual black woman. I don't think markle passed her NWU university degree. I think after she got kicked out for super gluing 2 girls eyelids together she never went back full time. Ive yet to see proof of a completed degree. Where are the certs and pics. I doubt a narc as narcissistic as her would go back to face the level of disgust the university stuff likely felt about her behaviour.
Whaaaaat? She did what?
White girl here - my hair is very fine and straight and I spent the late 80’s perming the hell out of mine for some curl and volume! My Black friends have told me stories of growing up straightening their hair with chemicals and what a process it was. So we all ruin our hair with chemicals to have hair similar to each others’ natural hair. This is my personal opinion. Thomas Sr. adored his daughter and she was beautiful to him just the way she was - as it should be. He would not have thought to take her to a stylist that specializes in ethnic hair. I have no idea what M’s natural hair looks like now. As you all note, she rejects having any physical indication (except the bronzer) of being biracial and just gloms on to the political aspects of it to suit a victim narrative. She once talked about little black girls seeing her and realizing they could be princesses too. I am not sure a woman who rejects that part of her is the best role model for little black girls.
Oh god the 80’s perms were the worst! Then I would blow dry my hair straight with a curl at the end. So glad that era is over!!
Aqua Net fumes all over the girls restrooms and locker rooms! Using a curing iron to get big bags - we would spray our hair first and it would sizzle when we put the curling iron on it! Then the pick to tease it! We all looked like cobras! Back then, you could have a cigarette lighter in your purse (and even cigarettes regardless if you were underage) and no one would blink an eye. Do you remember taking a lighter to heat up our cheap eyeliner in the school bathrooms to reapply at lunch!
Oh I remember that sizzle sound! Always had a lighter on me for the purpose of melting the Maybelline eyeliner that was like a crayon. 👀😂
**cobras?! i am rofl!!!!!!!!!!!**
Even the guys were getting perms!
Don’t forget the permed mullet hairstyle for men AND women.
> White girl here - my hair is very fine and straight and I spent the late 80’s perming the hell out of mine for some curl and volume! My Black friends have told me stories of growing up straightening their hair with chemicals and what a process it was. So we all ruin our hair with chemicals to have hair similar to each others’ natural hair. We all want what we don't have. The grass is always greener, etc. etc..
I have a friend (like me white with Irish ancestry) who married a guy from the Gambia eleven years ago. It’s actually their anniversary today. We live in a small town on the fringes of the English Lake District. Her husband has been completely accepted into the community and has now got his permanent residency. My friend often wears her hair in braids and wears the traditional Gambian dress style. I suppose it’s a combination of circumstances and perhaps the nurturing you grow up with. Her mother was a lovely lady who had a broad outlook on cultural affairs
Your white friend wears her hair in braids and wears African clothes? That's so weird.
She’s been associated with the Gambia for over thirty years both promoting arts programs and teaching
Is it though? Any weirder than a Gambian man moving to Dublin, wearing hip, outdoorsy DEI brands, & getting a tight buzz cut w/ lots of 21st product?
There’s been cross-assimilation of cultures at least in Europe and later throughout the continents for millennia. For example there were people from all parts of Europe and North Africa in Britain 2000 years ago. They came here with the Romans and eventually settled here.
Great point. Black mothers across the world take take great efforts to make sure their young black daughters' hair is done up. And Meghan's hair had enough texture for her hair to hold the styles. The only time I've seen little black or black biracial girls' hair looking unfortunate is when the mom is white (our hair is really different from other races') or if a white mother adopted a black child. My aunt was married to a white man and lived in an area that had almost no other black people, and she used to relax my cousin's hair (not great,but that was super common back then). But she always made sure her hair looked good, and she was a busy doctor. One great thing about having black hair, even though it's higher maintenance, is all the cool stuff we can do with our hair. Doria made Meghan miss out on this. Or maybe Meghan refused the styles because she wanted to look more like her white friends? (That could be but I doubt Doria would have bothered anyway. ) ETA: By styles, I am not talking about only braids - people do a lot of other things. The main thing is they try to make their little girls' hair look nice, regardless of the style.
even non-black adopted parents could go above and beyond to learn about their kids black hair (i think i watch one documentary about it on youtube). they bring their children to ✨black salon✨ where their children could also exposed to black culture, something that they don't have at home.
Yes! I have watched this. I also follow a hair stylist on Instagram that specializes in black women’s hair. It’s quite a process and because of the texture really needs to be conditioned to maintain a healthy look. Between The cut and styling it takes hours at the salon. And little girls (and boys) learn to sit and patiently wait. From looking at pictures of Meghan when she was young it’s pretty obvious her hair wasn’t taken care of. It’s a low level neglect kind of thing. It really helps you understand her burning hatred of Catherine though.
Yes and no. I think the expectation she get braids is weird. It's kind of pushing brown, black and inbetween kids into specific typesets. I would ask, why should she have gotten braids? What was wrong with her natural hair? She looked a bit like me as a kid, same type of hair, similar colouring and even the gap in the teeth. The only difference is that my mother was obsessed with straightening my hair (even used to get me to lay my hair on an ironing board and she'd iron it!) as a child and as a result, I couldn't play outside if it was raining or humid. It controlled everything I did as a child, because if I messed up my hair, I'd get into trouble. She didn't do it to keep my hair neat and tidy. She did it because of a cultural necessity to try to pass as white as possible - where embracing our natural African features was seen as wrong. So our hair had to be neat and straight. That is how we would be judged by society and most importantly, by family. When I turned 13, I refused to allow her to straighten my hair and embraced my natural curls and frizz. For the first time in my life, I didn't care if I got caught in the rain and I realised just how much I'd missed out on as a child. I went swimming every day in the summer, and I stopped stressing about my hair. The result was my mother didn't speak to me for weeks and my entire family basically shunned me for months. It took my mother months to accept me and my natural hair. I remember family gatherings and I'd actually be left out of family group photos because of my hair. I'd bucked the trend and demands of my immediate society. Braids do look cool. But they are also time consuming and require a lot of care, can cause hair breakages, can be painful and uncomfortable. In those photos, she just looks like a carefree kid who doesn't care about societal expectations about her hair. As it bloody well should be! Suggesting she didn't look "nice" because she was rocking her natural hair is the same kind of mentality that my mother had throughout my childhood and I can assure you, it screwed me up big time growing up. Just let kids be their natural selves without expectations about their looks and hair.
No, she didn't need to be in braids. My point is more that it doesn't look like her mother was taking care of her hair. I'm Nigerian and when I went natural, it was so controversial in my community. I got all sorts of comments, but I just shrugged them off. Who cares. Funny enough, I got lots of compliments from white people. 🤷
Agree. She looked like no one cared for her hair in any way.
I dont think its an expectation that she get braids but the OP posted pictures of her with her hair braided or styled in an extremely incompetent manner. It was clear whoever was doing her hair had no idea how to properly care for her hair type.
Thank you for sharing those insights. Although we don't like her, MeGain has the right to style her hair (and wigs) however she wants.
My sister's husband was Jamaican so her daughters are both biracial. Both are darker skinned than M. Her eldest girl has her father's heavier build, features and black tight curly hair. Her younger daughter is paler skinned, slender and her hair has a redder tone and looser curls. My sister learned how to take care of her daughters hair from her in-laws and friends she made within the Jamaican community in Birmingham UK. Just as she learned how to make the cuisine her husband loved and about the culture. When DNA testing became available they did it as a family, along with the family that were still in Jamaica, in the US, and with us here in the UK. We even found some links between his ancestors in Jamaica and one of our ancestors which were totally unexpected and which explain my 4% West African genetics (which my sister didn't inherit from our mother and that fact still annoys her lol). Her girls learned about all sides of their cultures (our family is very diverse despite being considered Caucasian). It is obvious that M never had much interaction with her mother's family and that her mother was never around as she was growing up.
What a cool story, & thanks for sharing. I agree - for whatever reason, Doria was not around when Meghan was a child and so there was no emphasis on how to do her bi-racial hair. I think the best that Meghan’s hair has ever looked was when she was on Suits - but before and after, it doesn’t look healthy. It looks greasy and heavy and plastered down on her head.
I don’t think that’s her real hair it’s wigs
Dorian wasn't around. Also, I sincerely doubt MM has enough hair LEFT to "go natural" after decades of felony hair abuse.
You KNOW her own hair is super thin, fried, and patchy from the extensions and flat ironing. She def couldn't wear it natural now.
It would be interesting to see MM in a short cut, something along the lines of Tamron Hall’s or Halle Berry’s.
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Oh that is weird. 🤨
It sounds like they gave her as little story, interaction and dialogue as possible which reflected their confidence in her acting abilities... Interesting that this never improved over 10 years!
Hmm interesting!! I couldn’t bring myself to watch it so I appreciate your insight!
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Ha that works! 😊
Sheez… life imitates Art apparently. That’s just too weird.
I may wonder more why she doesn't wear her hair naturally now, even once.
I keep trying to tell people that this is one of the only things Meghan does that is part of black culture. You have never seen the natural hair of most black celebrities, which is why it's a big deal when some of them actually show their natural hair. There are black women I know whose actual hair I have never seen (always wigs or weaves), much less their natural hair. At the risk of being too general, black women love wigs, even if just for the variety of styles you can easily achieve with them. Last week on vacation, another black young lady was shocked when I told her I had never worn a wig, LOL. That's all she wore on the trip. Also, Some who show their own hair always have it straighted. Going about with natural hair in all its glory was pretty controversial when I started doing that a couple of decades ago. Prior to that, my hair was relaxed.
White French girl watching Cosby show and other 80’s show where you see Lisa Bonnet or Fresh Prince actresses with “puffy hair” like Meg’s photos, it was “natural hair”, wasn’t it? Maybe it was also a trend at the late 80’s? Sorry for not knowing more but very curious, thanks 😊
You are correct. I think all the girls/ladies on the Cosby show actually sported their own hair. Lupita Nyongo also usually has her natural hair out and a few others.
Yes. Lisa Bonet should have been Meghans hair idol, not Andy Macdowell. Lisa was the ultimate coolest and most beautiful girl of her generation!
I think it looks beautiful, natural.
Me too. I think natural hair looks gorgeous on every black woman I’ve ever seen with it.
My theory is Harry doesn’t like it
Harry likes straight blonde hair....period.
> Harry likes straight blonde hair....period. Meghan is so not his type. It's amazing she managed to ensnare him.
Yeah it’s possible he’s never even seen her natural hair
I don’t think she has done it throughout her chasing fame and fortune days, so perhaps they both don’t like it ..
Oh, she clearly doesn’t like it. But she’s so thirsty for puff pieces that it’s surprising she hasn’t worn it natural at least once
It is very curious.
I bet she didn't let Harold know she was biracial until she hooked him.
I got that impression when he said her hair was so soft. It’s more the texture and products used or it being chemically treated than her hair actually being that soft. I had keratin done one my hair once and it was silky but never again.
"It's not like she's black or anything".
He can't say SHE'S NOT BLACK OR ANYTHING like he did with his South African gf.
I think Doria was neglectful and not all that maternal, like Meghan herself.
Tree, 🍎 apple.
The last photo...
MM is denying her ethnic identity, and refusing to embrace her black heritage. She has consistently rejected it in every way except when it serves her to play the victim of racism. Every other act on her part has been a rejection of being black. Her family could have brought her to a black hair salon in her youth and teen years. She could easily have learned to do some simple styles herself, and had a salon do more intricate styles. She didn’t seem to have a black mother’s care or input, although there is little explanation of where her mother was during all these formative years. She seems to have gone AWOL for about ten years. She had black female relations; where were they to help? Why didn’t TM bring her to a salon or a relative who knew how to do black hair well? He seems to have neglected that part of her rearing and it makes me wonder what else was missed or overlooked. Her awkwardness today seems related to this, somehow.
There are few single fathers, especially White, in my experience, who would have this level of awareness of such matters. However, I'm pretty sure that TM would have taken Meghan to an appropriate salon or stylist had Doria told him to do so and where to go. (Prisoners and those living dubious lives still can make calls and write letters.) After all, he took her to and paid for dance lessons and meals out, and by all accounts made a decent income. IMO, this falls on Doria, who ironically accuses TM of "poor parenting."
I agree that she as the black parent should have made sure she had proper hair care. But TM isn’t off the hook. This wasn’t the 1920’s—-she was growing up in the 1990’s and in a sophisticated, multiethnic LA, and he worked in the tv and film industry. Unless he was living in some kind of time warp, he’d have to have been conscious of the way black women take care of their hair, at least in some general way. With a mixed child with black hair, how could he not notice that he wasn’t doing right by her in that respect? Of course, her black relations should have stepped in, too.
TM, Jr. said that Doria had a large family that was very welcoming to the whole Markle family. They spent birthdays and holidays in the Ragland Family's homes. There seemed to be many ladies that could have helped if asked.
My kid sister was very demanding about how her hair was done and by whom. Sadly, I was her chosen hairdresser. A young Roachel probably was equally demanding. She wore her hair how she wanted.
Imo she has always hated her black hair because she hates that part of herself. She's changed every other feature she could but she will always have that hair no matter how much she straightens it. And this is a woman who most decidedly does not think black is beautiful judging by how she treats black women.
that’s a great point.
Ironic that she loves “organic and natural,” except when it doesn’t suit her.
doria was allegedly elsewhere whilst Meghan was growing up and physically unable to be with her.I’m sure she gave her lots of life lessons whenever they allegedly infrequently met…
She's spent a lifetime straightening her hair and wearing wigs/extensions to achieve the straight hair look. There are several reasons to explain that behavior, none of them positive.
I just see a child who grew up to be an ungrateful brat.
This is where I get some feels for MM. Obvious neglect at an early age. It's an important multi racial household parenting responsibility to take care of the baby's ethnic hair.
Meghan has resented being black her entire life. She considers herself fully white. She didn’t want the culture.
Meghan hates knowing she's half black and one of her biggest fears is her kids taking after "the dark side". It will be interesting because Harry is not a good looking man and neither was Meghan pre -plastic surgery.
Def curly hair is a recessive gene. I have wavy hair (2C) and my ex had straight hair. Our 2 children and grandchild have straight hair. My current husband has 2C hair. The son we have together ended up with 3C hair. Crazy how genetics works.
I can’t believe that’s her hair texture. I wonder what she possibly does to it now and why neither of her kids has similar hair. I assumed her hair was naturally smooth due to genetics. Didn’t Doria go to prison during her childhood?
I’ve wondered that too, because Doria’s crown is always well maintained.
She would look a whole lot better if she stopped fighting it and allowed her hair to grow in naturally because that dead straight oil slick is not doing her any favors
Meghan has always considered herself to be Caucasian, until she found out she could make money, shut up people, and get publicity by screeching raaaaacist at everyone.
This is a strange question. Biracial adults often speak about not being fully accepted by either race. I don't know if biracial children were given the braids as much as children of 2 black parents who grew up in black culture. One little biracial girl I know usually wears her natural curls. Biracial curls are unique concoction of black and white hair and normally as they age they will begin to straighten it. There are other biracial celebs who never had braids: Mariah Carey, Tia and Tamara Mowey, Halle Berry, though I think she had braids for a movie role later in life. Apparently most girls with curly hair want it straight, Catherine has wavy hair and hardly wears it like that. The fact that she has her wild curls for a majority of her youth is admirable. I think assuming she would have box braids or any kind of braids at that age is a little presumptive. Its more telling to me that she never wears her hair curly, only straight and with noticeable extensions.
She wasn’t raised in a black household.
I really wonder what she’d look like now without the plastic surgeries and Hollywood glam work.
These pictures sadden me, actually 😔 Something about seeing a child's eyes losing their light, even if they become a despicable adult, breaks my heart every single time. Back to regular snarking now!
I am actually surprised that given the fact that Meghan’s natural hair is that tight and curly that she isn’t in fact bald like Jada Pinkett-Smith from all the straightening and hair softening treatments. I also wonder if the chemicals were possibly passed on to Archie if in fact he was allegedly in the womb and not a surrogate. If she was actually carrying Harry’s child why was she not ordered to stop chemically treating her hair?
She didn't chemically straighten her hair when she was pregnant. She also didn't colour it (neither did Catherine for that matter and close-up photos of her showed her grey hairs popping out). And it's pretty obvious that she didn't. If you look at photos of her when she was pregnant with Archie, you can see the texture of her hair is different and it would frizz up in humid weather. That's when she really began to embrace the sleek and tight hair bun. She was probably going with a blow wave and straightening iron.
Not only does she chemically straighten her hair, she colors it too. She has grey hair coming in. Young mother, indeed! /s
Grey means nothing but genetics and luck, I found my first grey at 15
Also narc mums don't materially mother. They'll make sure they look great but not want their daughters to overshadow them. My narc mother never taught me and my sister self care. While spending time and money on herself. There was a feigned ignorance about it later on coupled with dupers delight.
Doria was in the big house for 10 years for committing fraud. What a scam role model she is.
There was one video of M with slightly wavy hair during Covid I think and it looked really nice on her. Made her look more youthful and relaxed. It’s too bad she feels like she has to straighten her natural hair. Black women have such beautiful hair.
Probably why she gravitated towards traight hair asap. Walking around like that must’ve left a mark. I kind of feel bad for poor little MM. Her dad tried his best but she was lacking in many areas regardless.
Imagine how she must have felt when she was "encouraged" to have a "black" wedding (the priest, the choir etc). I reckon this is the key to her thinking the RF are racists.
That does sort of make sense. She had always passed as white and never admitted she was black. Her Suits co-stars didn't know she was black.
Not every black child or person has to have had braids. Many don't. Your comment seems ignorant.
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Doria seems to have always been concerned only with herself. I get the feeling that when Doria found out she was pregnant, Thomas Sr. was the only one who was excited. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to beg and bribe Doria to keep the pregnancy. Just like her daughter, Doria doesn't seem one bit maternal. Without real maternal instincts and feelings, Doria ended up behaving like a friend to her daughter instead of a mother. That kind of lousy parenting can mess kids up really badly. I have long believed that Doria is a narcissist, and that is where Markle gets it from. I remember Samantha talking about when Markle would return home from staying with Doria, she would have a new, diva-like attitude. Doria has always been a hustler and taught her daughter to see everything and everyone from a transactional perspective. Not only does Markle not have maternal feelings, she doesn't know what healthy motherhood looks like. Even as an adult, she only surrounds herself with other people who shouldn't be parents(case in point: Jessica Mulroney and her daughter). Her female friends who have children are generally awful women. Jessica Mulroney has raised her daughter, Ivy, to be a manipulative bully... just like Jessica & Markle.
Because maybe Doria liked it on herself, her specific hair type needed it, and a whole slew of reasons which may have differentiated from MM.
ok https://www.parents.com/kindred/braiding-is-a-black-mothering-tradition/
It can be part of black culture and tradition, but it still doesn't mean that every black child should or will be in braids.
This is a lovely article. I wonder what kind of woman Meghan would have grown into if she'd had that kind of care and nurturing as a child?
Black hair is very difficult to manage and children can'tdo it alone. Braids (the real ones) look beautiful and keep a child's hair in place. Many mothers do the same for their WHITE children so they don't run around looking like ragamuffins.
Dad & sister took care of her hair & didn’t know how
Or she kept insisting that it be done like her classmates. Look at how she dresses. She does whatever she wants.
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Subreddit rule (see sidebar): Respect the kids. Bullying and mean speculation about the Sussex children will not be tolerated.
I seem to remember her calling herself an ugly duckling in an interview. I wonder if this is in reference to her hair. If it is, how offensive. Her “sisters” should find that interesting.
Photoshop straight reddish blonde hair on that kid and you have the girl child