Michelle Obama Hopes for “Forgiveness and Healing” for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Former first lady Michelle Obama sat down with Today‘s Jenna Bush Hager on March 15th to discuss her new educational children’s nutrition show Waffles & Mochi. Before they dove into Waffles talk, Hager asked Obama what she thought about the interview between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Oprah Winfrey—specifically, what she thought of the fact that Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie, was the subject of scrutiny about his potential “darkness.”

As I said before, race isn’t a new construct in this world for people of color, and so it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear [Meghan’s] feelings and to have them articulated, Obama said.

She continued, “I think the thing that I hope for, and the thing I think about, is that this, first and foremost, is a family. I pray for forgiveness and healing for them so that they can use this as a teachable moment for us all.”

On the topic of racial injustice, both at home and abroad, Obama said that it’s not something one can “come to terms with.” “But you do have to talk about it,” she said. “You have to sit down with your children and acknowledge the truth of the world we live in.”

Having lived in the White House during her husband’s administration and having worked for the greater good of the American people, Obama knows just how hard being a public servant can be. “Public service, it’s a bright, sharp, hot spotlight, and most people don’t understand it, and nor should they,” she said. “The thing that I always keep in mind is that none of this is about us in public service. It’s about the people that we serve.

I always try to push the light back out and focus it on the folks that we are actually here to serve, Obama said.

Hopefully now that the veil of the royal family has been lifted, Meghan and Harry will be able to heal and continue to teach us how to move forward from outdated, archaic systems that still thrive on putting others down.