Meghan's Archetypes had recently released the latest episode entitled "The Stigma of the Singleton with Mindy Kaling," wherein the two women reminisced their moments in high school, with the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, describing herself as an "ugly duckling," per People.
The American member of the British royal family said that she had massive frizzy, curly hair and a huge gap in her teeth. She described herself as the smart one and was confident that every time she would enter a room, she would be the smartest, but she just sort of grew up.
At another point in the conversation, the former actress revealed her love of Archie comics and clarified that her son was not named after the Archie comic book. She said that she was more like Betty than Veronica and noted that she was the smart one and not the pretty one.
The mom of two added that while attending Catholic School Immaculate Heart, an all-girls school, through middle and high school, she would always find herself trying to be busy to avoid any awkward lunchroom situations.
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"Rachel Zane" former actress' experiences during high school
The 41 years old former actress said she never had anyone to sit with at lunch as she was a bit of a loner. She was timid then and didn't know where she could fit in. But when she became the president of the Multicultural Club, sophomore class, and the French Club, she had meetings at lunchtime, so she didn't have to worry anymore about who she would sit with or what she would do at lunchtime.
Mindy Kaling, 43, shared things that are now treated as normal: stereotyping, discrimination, or bullying due to your different looks or beliefs, or culture. She admitted that she never felt attractive while growing up as she is dark-skinned and Indian. She revealed that she was conscious due to her physical appearance because she was overweight and was always wearing glasses.
The conversation got emotional as the Duchess of Sussex reflected on feeling different from other kids growing up, US Magazine reported.
Humiliated for being different
Being humiliated for being different resonates with many, like 11-year-old Kheris Rogers, who cannot forget how she was ostracized in school due to her physical appearance and skin color. She recalled having an assignment where students needed to draw themselves, but the teacher handed her a black crayon instead of a brown.
She admitted that she was the darkest among the students in her classroom but clarified that all of them were African-American. Because of what happened, she was forced to transfer to another school to avoid constant bullying. Unfortunately, she still received different views and opinions about her skin color, and her complexion set her apart, a label she couldn't shed.
The 11-year-old girl turned to her grandmother to ask for some advice and encouraging words, and she remembered "Flexin In My Complexion" the most as it was the advice that made the shy girl feel beautiful in her own skin. She now literally owns the label, as she calls her clothing line "Flexin In My Complexion," per CNN.