Prince William believes discrimination remains “an all too familiar experience” for black men and women in Britain.
The 40-year-old prince made the comment during a speech at Waterloo train station in London, where William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, unveiled a new monument to celebrate the dreams and courage of the Windrush generation.
He said: “Discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022.”
The statue has been designed by the Jamaican artist and sculptor Basil Watson, and was unveiled by the royal couple as part of a series of engagements to mark Windrush Day (22.06.22) in the UK. The monument features a depiction of a man, woman and child stood on top of their suitcases after arriving in the country.
Prince William spoke out against the Windrush Scandal – which involved the wrongful deportation of members of the Windrush generation – and he also conceded that real equality remains some way off.
He said: “Only a matter of years ago, tens of thousands of that generation were profoundly wronged by the Windrush Scandal. That rightly reverberates throughout the Caribbean community here in the UK as well as many in the Caribbean nations.
“Therefore, alongside celebrating the diverse fabric of our families, our communities and our society as a whole – something the Windrush Generation has contributed so much to – it is also important to acknowledge the ways in which the future they sought and deserved has yet to come to pass.”
Windrush Day was introduced in 2018 in the hope of encouraging communities across the UK to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation, who migrated to the country after World War Two.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also met young people from the the British-Caribbean community at Elevate, a non-profit organisation in London that brings together creativity and culture.
Elevate hopes to provide young people with the opportunities they need in order to forge successful careers within the creative industries.