Jesse Jackson has called Britain the “mother of racism” and urged the country to address its historic role in slavery.
The US civil rights leader said that Britain had a “responsibility to face up to racism and change it” during an appearance on Times Radio.
Mr Jackson made his remarks after the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report claimed that there was no evidence of institutional racism in the country.
But Mr Jackson said that there was a “pattern of racism” in the United Kingdom.
“Britain has a certain responsibility to face up to racism and change it,” he said.
“I’ve travelled across Britain and clearly there’s a pattern of racism.”
Mr Jackson, 79, touched on Meghan Markle’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, in which she accused an unidentified member of the royal family of racism.
Meghan claimed an unnamed royal speculated about what colour skin Archie would have, while she was pregnant with her son.
Mr Jackson was asked if he thought that the royal family was racist and replied: “Blacks cannot … be part of the Crown.”
But he added that he thought that marriage of Harry and Meghan showed that “change is in the air”.
“In a democracy, everybody has the chance to be everything,” he said.
“There is no superior race and no inferior race. All of us have royal blood. We’re all God’s children. Everybody matters.”
Source: INDEPENDENT
