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Prince Harry speaks out on ‘unconscious bias' and how it feeds racism

“I’m not saying you’re a racist, I’m just saying that your unconscious bias is proving that because of the way that you’ve been brought up."

Price Harry

Prince Harry has spoken out about 'unconscious racism'. Source: Getty Images Europe

Prince Harry has spoken out about 'unconscious racism' during a revealing interview for his wife Meghan Markle's stint as guest editor of British Vogue.

In the magazine's latest issue, guest edited by the Duchess of Sussex, the Duke spoke candidly with leading conservationist Jane Goodall about how stigma is “handed down from generation to generation”, adding that it can often be difficult for people to recognise their own prejudices.

During the conversation, Prince Harry described "unconscious bias" as “something which so many people don’t understand, why they feel the way they do”.
He added: “Despite the fact that if you go up to someone and say ‘what you’ve just said, or the way you’ve behaved, is racist’ - they’ll turn around and say, ‘I’m not a racist’.

“I’m not saying you’re a racist, I’m just saying that your unconscious bias is proving that because of the way that you’ve been brought up, the environment you’ve been brought up in, suggests that you have this point of view - unconscious point of view - where naturally you will look at someone in a different way.

"And that is the point at which people start to have to understand."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Source: Getty Images
The Duke also spoke to Goodall about he and Markle's plans to grow their family, saying they hoped to have two children at most due to the challenges of overcoming climate change.

“What we need to remind everybody is: these are things that are happening now," Prince Harry said. "We are already living in it. We are the frog in the water and it’s already been brought to the boil. Which is terrifying.”

Guest-editing the iconic magazine's September issue, Markle is said to have put forward a blueprint for “positivity, kindness, humour and inclusivity" - selecting fifteen "change making" women to share the cover.

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By Samuel Leighton-Dore

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Prince Harry speaks out on ‘unconscious bias' and how it feeds racism | SBS Voices