Kerry Kennedy’s recent interview about H&M award - some thoughts……

[Glorified]

I don’t think Kerry Kennedy’s characterisation of H&M’s actions from her recent interview (below) is accurate:

uk.style.yahoo.com/style/meghan-and-harry-royal-family-racism-kerry-kennedy-comments-164718226.html

"They went to the oldest institution in UK history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn't have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health."

The lawyer and human rights activist added that the Sussexes "knew that if they did this there would be consequences, that they would be ostracised, they would lose their family, their position within this structure, and that people would blame them for it.
"They have done it anyway," Kennedy said, "because they believed that they could not live with themselves if they did not question this authority. I think they have been heroic in taking this step."

What’s going on here? Is Kerry Kennedy just stepping in to defend her decision against recent public criticism of the H&M award (even by her own brother)…..?

Did H&M actually directly address the RF / institution around structural racism and unsupported MH or did they just drop those issues / concerns on a TV show for “bombshell” impact a year later in a fit of pique?

H&M pushed hard, as I understand it, to have a half in half out situation and it was only afterwards when this was proved problematic/unachievable that they left the RF and subsequently a year later first issued complaints publicly during the OW interview of racism and MM’s unsupported MH issues.

I am not questioning that these issues didn’t happen just that if they were so bad surely you wouldn’t try to stay half in with the institution or continue to be very publicly associated and identified with it by using the titles of a regime that oppressed you?

If H&M cared enough about racism in the family and institution they could have gone followed this up to address it and root it out - bring a formal complaint etc ironically that’s what this award is partly about - tackling racial injustice - it doesn’t look to me like they have managed their most tangible opportunity to do so directly.

The non-profit said that the Sussexes had received this award because the couple had "demonstrated a lifelong commitment to building strong and equitable communities, advancing the global dialogue around mental health, and advocating for a better world".

One can hardly say Harry has demonstrated a lifelong committment to the above with his drunken antics, or Meghan with her little suitcase and no mention of mental health until she was trapped in the palace without her passport etc, but its politics, its celebrity, it notoriety so its exactly what they need for their profile.

And the people who are genuinely working for the above can just get on with it without awards because they really are not what awards are about.

I think you have made a good point OP . They desperately wanted the half in half out . If things were really so awful that suggestion would never have been mooted, they would have been out of there . But of course recollections May vary .

I am just wondering if KK has just made this up on her own to justify her award - or is now the narrative H&M have since evolved - that they bravely called out the structural racism of an institution and then had to leave heroically taking the consequences of ostracism from the racist institution…..

I find her statement quite accurate and well thought out. Looking forward to seeing H&M awarded.

Lifetime TV -Style- gibberish! I wonder if there is also a rift in her own family which causes her to interpret it like this? I don't think H was really bothered about inequality and racism until he met M. Infact, he openly benefited from it throughout his life. This will be M's recollection which varied from everybody else's. Just like the dancing in the streets in SA and a hundred other things.

They have done the RF a massive favour by moving to the other side of the world based on a gamble and plans for a smear campaign. Smear campaigns have to be short, sharp and timed properly. This one has not been any of these things-dragged on for years, wooly and vague and tome deaf.

If you are going to call up a whole, established family group on the grounds of honesty then your own integrity must be pristine. When you turn out to be the biggest fibber and deliverer of PR bloopers then nothing good can come of it.

I do see what you mean about the timings, OP. There was that initial guff about doing the half in/half out thing 'in consultation with the Queen' which was so cheeky I assumed it had originated with Harry. And it clearly suggests they (he) wanted to remain part of The Firm, but more on their (his) terms.

Then the Queen said 'No', and the rest as they say is hysteria.

Apparently this ripple award on 6 December isn't as prestigious or as valuable as the Earthshot award which William and Catherine will be giving on 2 December, also in America (Boston, home of the Kennedys). Earthshot is a Kennedy family award. I believe their is rivalry between the two branches of the Kennedy family making these awards, and wonder if the 'ripple' award is just a cheap shot at grabbing more headlines than the P&P of Wales? Earthshot also founded by David Attenborough

Two completely different awards. The Ripple of Hope awards those who fight for Social Justice and the Earthshot awards to those who are fighting for the environment.

So they would never compete against each other and one found lesser.

They went to the oldest institution in UK history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn't have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health

And then they named their daughter after the head of this institution.

The lawyer and human rights activist added that the Sussexes "knew that if they did this there would be consequences, that they would be ostracised, they would lose their family, their position within this structure, and that people would blame them for it.
"They have done it anyway," Kennedy said, "because they believed that they could not live with themselves if they did not question this authority. I think they have been heroic in taking this step."

KK has just re-written history or made this up hasn’t she?

This sequence of events just didn’t happen.

You think there can be global social justice while climate inequality rages, while climate refugees are on the move, while the earth's natural resources are milked by elites, while geopolitics fails the world's poor over climate action, pollution, flooding, drought and food poverty? These ideas, these concepts, these problems, are inextricably linked.

I am very aware of that. But that isn't what we are talking about. We are talking about you saying there are 2 factions of the same families competing.

One of these awards has been around 50 years. The other 10.

I don't know what might underlie the comments on institutional racism (as all we have to go on are the actions of Princess Michael and the "recollections may vary" incident. They represent things that need gripping, but I'm not sure it makes it institutional. Did she expand on what was said?

The MH comments just seem plain wrong, and I suspect misreporting or garble.

that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health

The main misunderstanding that has come to light is the Duchess thinking that HR was the place to seek medical support, not the Medical Household (something the Duke must have known, and something even the general public knows about as there is published information on it and its role)

At least one member of the RF has had in-patient treatment, and various others have spoken of therapy and/or are involved with MH charities.

So is this 'could not maintain' business an admission she was wrong? or an attempt to blame the palace for the misunderstanding, that was primarily hers, but for which he carries most of the responsibility as he had the knowledge to solve it instantly.

MM is not stupid and I have long suspected she knew find that HR was not the right place to go for help with her mental health however it suited her agenda to say that she was turned away.

Yup. Perfectly crafting a never-ending high drama where she is the main focal point will always come before established truth and other people's rights and feelings.

So now we know the tale they’ll be peddling in their upcoming documentary, it’s clearly a load of rubbish as they wanted a half in half out, free to monetise their titles, get free merch and were told no.

You wonder when the day will come when they feel fully satisfied about having got it all off their chest and decide to move onto other topics so that they can demonstrate what talented, personable adults they are?
.. oh hang on 😉

Given the short time MM was in the U.K. as a member of the RF , I would have thought she would have exhausted her store of complaints?

Great post OP.
Fully agree

She seriously expects people to believe her midwife/obstetrician didn't ask if she was ok mentally? It's common practice in maternity services to ask about mental health, yet she never mentioned her problems to these professionals? There is even a midwife specialising in the MH of pregnant women attached to all units. Or is she saying she never had access to maternity services?

How can they call out the institution and claim to revere the woman who was its head for 70+ years?

I rather like this summary.

While the decision to honour the Sussexes has baffled some, it may be no coincidence that the director of their upcoming Netflix docu-series, Liz Garbus, is partner in a film company with Rory Kennedy, the youngest of Robert F. Kennedy’s 11 children.
One Hollywood producer told the Mail on Sunday said: ‘Everyone has been scratching their heads to try to figure out the reason why Harry and Meghan were chosen to receive this while they are still in the early stages of their philanthropic work.
‘Perhaps the connection between the Netflix documentary and Rory Kennedy is it?’

Zelensky and the Sussex’s sharing an award - seriously WTF.