Prince Harry says it will take ‘every single person on the planet’ to defeat racism

‘We have to go to the root of the problem’, says royal

The Duke of Sussex has said it will take “every single person on the planet” to defeat racism.

On Saturday, Color of Change – a non-profit organisation that leads campaigns that build real power for black communities – shared a preview of a video call between Prince Harry and US civil rights leader Rashad Robinson.

The clip was posted to the initiative’s Instagram account alongside the caption: “Inequality is not unfortunate like a car accident, it has been manufactured.

“Prince Harry and @iamrashadrobinson talked candidly about systemic racism, hate online and people with privilege, using their privilege for change. Here’s a sneak peek at what happened. Stay tuned for the full convo #ComingSoon!”

The preview from the video call begins with Rashard saying: “Part of this work, part of this moment that we're in, is that making sure from analysis to action that we drive action toward structural and systemic change.

“Changing the rules that have held people back.”

Harry added: “You say this so beautifully Rashard, and it's so true.

“There's so much that has happened for so long and once those problems exist, charity is crucial in so many areas but it can't fix the problem. The problems already exist by that point and are too big.

“As I've said to you before, it's like bringing a bucket of water to a forest fire.”

He continued: “We have to go to the root of the problem, to the source of the problem, and actually fix it there.

“As we've discussed before, it is going to take every single one of us, this is not just down to the black community, it's going to take every single person on the planet right now.”

Harry went on to praise the younger generation for “leading” the Black Lives Matter movement.

“To be led by the younger generation and to be able to act rather than just say, it's like okay so you've said it and now you've got to follow through with it,” he said.

This is not the first time Harry has spoken about racism.

In July, the royal addressed the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement while delivering a virtual speech during the Diana Awards.

“My wife said recently that our generation and the ones before us haven't done enough to right the wrongs of the past,“ he said. “I too am sorry - sorry that we haven't got the world to a place you deserve it to be.

“Institutional racism has no place in our societies, yet it is still endemic. Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you.”

Later that month, the duke also took part in a video call with young leaders alongside his wife, the Duchess of Sussex.

During the conversation, Harry said that past wrongs needed to be acknowledged across the Commonwealth in order to move forward.

“There is no turning back now, everything is coming to a head,” he said. “When you look across the Commonwealth, there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past,” he said.

“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.

“It’s not going to be easy and in some cases it’s not going to be comfortable, but it needs to be done, because, guess what, everybody benefits.”