As a Black American, I say the UK needs new thinking on race. The royals could lead that

‘Who better to lead the way than the king’s two sons, both of whom have spoken publicly of their commitment to ridding society of racism?’ Prince William at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station, London. Photograph: John Sibley/AP

In the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, the Duke of Sussex bemoans the racist element of the abuse suffered by Meghan on social media and in the UK press. He also addresses racism in wider British society and behind palace walls. “In this family,” he says, “you are sometimes part of the problem rather than part of the solution.”

As a Black American living in London, I am often struck by the different ways in which Britain and America grapple with the question of race. In the US, despite living alongside enslaved people and their underserved descendants for four centuries, after the death of George Floyd in 2020 many white people were, or at least seemed, astounded to learn that structural racism still existed.