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Prince Harry admits his own bias in powerful racism speech as he and Meghan Markle join video call to discuss racial bias
Prince Harry gave a powerful speech about racism in the wake of Black Lives Matter movement and admitted his own bias.
The Duke of Sussex, 35, joined his wife Meghan Markle, 38, for a video call with young leaders from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust last week that was made public today.
Speaking from his Los Angeles home in the US, Harry said the Commonwealth needs to follow others who have “acknowledged the past” and are “trying to right their wrongs”.
The Duchess also said it is the time of “reckoning” when individuals should be putting their hands up to “own” their past wrongdoings.
Harry told the group of young people, which included young leaders from Australia, the Bahamas and the UK: “When you look across the Commonwealth, there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past.
“So many people have done such an incredible job of acknowledging the past and trying to right those wrongs, but I think we all acknowledge there is so much more still to do.”
He added: “The optimism and the hope that we get is from listening and speaking to people like you, because there is no turning back now, everything is coming to a head.
“Solutions exist and change is happening far quicker than it ever has done before.”
The Duke also admitted he has his own unconscious bias.
He said: ‘We can’t deny or ignore the fact that all of us have been educated to see the world differently.
“However, once you start to realise that there is that bias there, then you need to acknowledge it, you need to do the work to become more aware… so that you can help stand up for something that is so wrong and should not be acceptable in our society today.”
Harry had to leave his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador after he and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals. But the couple retained their posts as president and vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
Watch the video below.
