Prince Harry says upbringing blinded him to unconscious racial bias

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive at the Endeavour Fund Awards in London, Britain March 5, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay//File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry said it took him years to realise that unconscious racial bias existed and his eyes had been opened by spending time in his wife Meghan's shoes.

 

The prince spoke during a conversation about racism with Patrick Hutchinson, the Black activist who was photographed by Reuters carrying a white man to safety during a scuffle between anti-racism protesters and far-right opponents in London in June.

 

Harry told Hutchinson he saw him as a "guardian angel" protecting everyone at the demonstration. Both men said there was still work to be done to defeat discrimination of all kinds.

 

"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 said during the online conversation, recorded last week for a feature by the magazine GQ.

 

"And then, sad as it is to say, it took me many, many years to realise it, especially then living a day or a week in my wife's shoes," added the prince. Meghan's father is white and her mother is African American.

 

Britain's Prince Harry said it took him years to realize that unconscious racial bias existed and his eyes had been opened by spending time in his wife Meghan's shoes. Freddie Joyner has more.

 

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have spoken out several times on race issues since stepping down from their roles as working members of the royal family at the end of March and moving to California.

 

Hutchinson, 50, told Harry a friend who had been at a previous protest where a policewoman had been injured had gathered a group to see if they could help keep order.

 

"It was us protecting everybody and, as it turned out, somebody on the other side ... I would do it for anybody and I would do it time and time again," he said.

 

The prince asked him how he felt seeing the continuing opposition to anti-racism protests.

 

"It's frustrating," said the father-of-four. "It just makes you wonder why people find it so hard to understand what we're all striving for: the equality side of things."

 

(Writing by Andrew Heavens; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-27

 

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The 2nd big Harry and Meghan story to hit the news today. This PC one, and the other one which is about George and Amal Clooney saying to fellow guests that they don't even know the Markles when they were at the wedding. I suppose they needed someone to fill the empty seats left vacant by Meghan's family.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Britain's Prince Harry said it took him years to realise that unconscious racial bias existed and his eyes had been opened by spending time in his wife Meghan's shoes.

 

And dresses.....whilst she has been firmly wearing his trousers.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Britain's Prince Harry said it took him years to realise that unconscious racial bias existed and his eyes had been opened by spending time in his wife Meghan's shoes.

I expect that his feet were s bit sore as well!

 

Does he realise what an absolute fool he is making of himself?

Still a worthless entitled punk.

 

 

Inflammatory post removed.  

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"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 said during the online conversation, recorded last week for a feature by the magazine GQ."

Harry went to Eton, one of the finest academic institutions that money can buy, but became the biggest royal under achiever of them all. As well as his GCSEs, he gained a B in art and a D in geography. But we cannot blame Meghan all the time, we are all responsible for our own actions.

Shame really, he seems an ok sort of a guy, but not very bright and probably easily led.

 

Giving up family and country for an American hand-me-down will ultimately bring much sadness to this young man's life similar to the pitiful life of his great-great-great uncle.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"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,"

Many still don't and will rage at anyone who says it does...

 I don't pretend to know what its like to be in his shoes and I would say he has no idea what its like to be in the average mans shoes. So why not just stay quiet. Not surprising he has no idea what exists and what doesnt exist in the real world. His brother even looked amazed at the sight of a KFC. 

What an amazing coincidence that this revelation hit him at exactly the moment that this hysterical, authoritarian nonsense is fashionable and precisely when his future earnings depend on his ability to ingratiate himself with the Hollywood set ($240m deal with Netflix to make documentaries and an animated show for children about empowering women).

Also laughable that he feels he is now experiencing racism first-hand by walking in his wife's shoes, a woman I've seen on TV for years and never had the slightest idea was black.

I also presume that Santa Barbara, the location of their $14.9m, nine-bed, 16-bath mansion, is not a ghetto.

What a complete tosser. They could, at least, have put in a few years and waited until his grandmother passed on.

 

Troll post removed.  This is a discussion forum.  

 

Hard to believe that Prince Philip didn't sit him down at some point during his childhood and explain the importance of racial sensitivity ????

 

39 minutes ago, CraigInBangkok said:

 I don't pretend to know what its like to be in his shoes and I would say he has no idea what its like to be in the average mans shoes. So why not just stay quiet. Not surprising he has no idea what exists and what doesnt exist in the real world. His brother even looked amazed at the sight of a KFC. 

Well, to be fair, I used to find the sight of many of the habitués of KFC in the British urban environment, tucking into a cardboard bucket of deep fried mechanically recovered chicken meat somewhat (morbidly) amazing!

I'm a member of a Line group for people who love movies. I had watched a movie and left a message saying I'd just watched it and it was pretty good. A few other people said they'd seen it too and they thought it was great. One member then mentioned that it was an all African-American cast. I replied with, "oh, yea. Now you say that - I just realised it's an all African-American cast. I hadn't noticed when watching". This particular member then went on to inform me that I had 'unconscious racial bias'. 

 

I just ignored this member and they were then kicked from the group. Seems they were picking fights with other members about all manner of things. I'm all for open dialogue about anything. But when you begin the dialogue with something along the lines of, "I don't know you, but you're bad and here's why" - you can see why people just ignore you and dismiss what you have to say (legitimate or not). People don't like being lectured - and they have every right to ignore you and not listen. You have to learn how to engage people respectfully. 

 

I did enjoy playing the game 'Who said it - Robin DeAngelo or Richard Spencer?' One of them is a white supremist and the other makes money from telling you you're a racist and you always will be. But by parting with your hard-earned cash, you can become more aware and less racist. I know, I know; the latter one sounds like a religion. 

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

his eyes had been opened by spending time in his wife Meghan's shoes.

spending time in his wife Meghan's shoes.

She must have large feet. However, I doubt he fits in her dresses too, so he'll have to buy his own.

 

Sarcasm alert for the humour devoid.

2 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

I expect that his feet were s bit sore as well!

 

Does he realise what an absolute fool he is making of himself?

He's young. He has time to wake up and see what he looks like now.

2 hours ago, vogie said:

but became the biggest royal under achiever of them all.

Be hard to better uncle Edward's fail. At least Harry did his military time without giving up.

Started well, then what the **** happened to him?

What an utterly fake boy is he, really a son of the father. Oh wait ....

yet here he is in a multicultural marriage...when did he see the light or is he just acting out....a script rom the gods waiting to happen

So that German uniform will stay in the closet?

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

spending time in his wife Meghan's shoes.

She must have large feet. However, I doubt he fits in her dresses too, so he'll have to buy his own.

 

Sarcasm alert for the humour devoid.

her second toe is definitely longer than her big toe

Blame past upbringing. Blame this, blame that. Action in the present is what matters and that brings about positive change. The rest is merely filler for the tabloids.

9 hours ago, vogie said:

Harry went to Eton, one of the finest academic institutions that money can buy, but became the biggest royal under achiever of them all. As well as his GCSEs, he gained a B in art and a D in geography. But we cannot blame Meghan all the time, we are all responsible for our own actions.

Shame really, he seems an ok sort of a guy, but not very bright and probably easily led.

Hollywood influence perhaps?  Kind of like getting married to a Mormon.

The racial bias was not aimed at Greeks and Germans for starters ????

theyre both addicted to complaining about the sins of history ,if they could black up they would;;

but haRRY WOULD LOOK SILLY

 

8 hours ago, donnacha said:

What an amazing coincidence that this revelation hit him at exactly the moment that this hysterical, authoritarian nonsense is fashionable and precisely when his future earnings depend on his ability to ingratiate himself with the Hollywood set ($240m deal with Netflix to make documentaries and an animated show for children about empowering women).

Also laughable that he feels he is now experiencing racism first-hand by walking in his wife's shoes, a woman I've seen on TV for years and never had the slightest idea was black.

I also presume that Santa Barbara, the location of their $14.9m, nine-bed, 16-bath mansion, is not a ghetto.

What a complete tosser. They could, at least, have put in a few years and waited until his grandmother passed on.

Seems Harry needs to address his white privilege more so than his unconscious racial bias.  Isn't it his white privilege that got him the $240m Netflix deal?  What, no mention?

 

The man is a disgrace..Royal Family...he ain't even really part of it being Hewitts son...crawl under a stone Harry you ain't got respect the same as other Royals

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

He's young. He has time to wake up and see what he looks like now.

No, it's much too late.

8 hours ago, donnacha said:

Also laughable that he feels he is now experiencing racism first-hand by walking in his wife's shoes, a woman I've seen on TV for years and never had the slightest idea was black.

In 'Suits' her father being black was supposed to be the giveaway. But I still pondered whether she was supposed to be adopted ????