Prince Harry has admitted that he only became cognizant of unconscious racial bias after “living a day” in Meghan Markle’s shoes.
In a new conversation with U.K. Black Lives Matter activist Patrick Hutchinson for British GQ, the Duke of Sussex explained how he never fully understood the racism that Black people deal with. “Once you realize or you feel a little bit uncomfortable, then the onus is on you to go out and educate yourself, because ignorance is no longer an excuse,” he said.
“And unconscious bias, from my understanding, having the upbringing and the education that I had, I had no idea what it was. I had no idea it existed,” Harry continued. “And then, sad as it is to say, it took me many, many years to realize it, especially then living a day or a week in my wife’s shoes.”
Harry then said that much of the blame for unconscious bias falls on those who have powerful platforms.
Harry added, “For me, it’s down to a more diverse perspective, otherwise you’re just perpetuating that bias. And I think one of the most dangerous things is people within positions of power, whether it’s politics or whether it’s the media, where if you’re not aware of your own bias and you’re not aware of the culture within your system, then how are we ever going to progress? How are we ever going to get to that point where there is more fairness? Because it’s not a zero-sum game, right? Everyone benefits if the Black community gets treated the way they should be treated.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Hutchinson discussed his viral moment during a London protest where he protected an alleged far-right counter-protester from being attacked during a demonstration in June.
