Watch Prince Harry Call Out Institutional Racism and Commit to Being "Part of the Change"

From Oprah Magazine

Last month, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, spoke out against the death of George Floyd during her commencement speech for her former high school's graduation. Since then, she and her husband, Prince Harry, have become more involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, and in a newly released video, Harry made his own strong statement against racism.

Today marks what would have been the Princess Diana's 59th birthday. It is also the annual presentation of the Diana Awards, established in memory of the late royal. The awards honor young people for excelling in social or humanitarian work, as Diana believed the youth could change the world.

Upholding that sentiment, in a video released for the awards, Prince Harry called on young people to help fix the current ills in our society and praised what the recipients had already accomplished.

"I am so incredibly proud to be part of these awards bc they honor the legacy of my mother and bring out the very best in people like you," the Prince said. "You all are doing such incredible work, and at a time of great uncertainty you have found the power and inspiration inside of you to make a positive mark on the world."

Harry noted how proud his mother would have been of these recipients and that she admired those who did what they felt was necessary and important, even if it was not easy.

"I can assure you [Diana] would have been fighting in your corner," Harry noted. "Like many of you she never took the easy route, or the popular one, or the comfortable one, but she stood for something and she stood up for people who needed it."

The Prince then turned to issues related to the current moment, and the recent protests and attention against racial discrimination around the world. In these statements, Harry echoed Meghan's sentiments that society has not yet done enough to combat these issues.

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

The Prince continued, calling out the racism still ever-present today. "Institutional racism has no place in our societies yet it is still endemic," he said. "Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you."

Harry concluded his speech by asking young people, especially the Diana Award recipients, to continue working towards a more equitable and just society. He also verified his own commitment to these causes.

"I want you to know that we are committed to being part of the solution and to being part of the change that you are all leading," Prince Harry said. "Now is the time and we know that you can do it."

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