Britain鈥檚 Prince Charles meets local community groups after meeting volunteers and supporters of Caithness food bank at Carnegie Library in Wick, Scotland, Britain July 29, 2022. Andrew Milligan/Pool via REUTERS
LONDON 鈥� Britain鈥檚 Prince Charles has guest edited an edition of the country鈥檚 only Black newspaper to mark its 40th anniversary, honoring the contributions of African-Caribbean communities to the arts and society.
The Voice newspaper records Charles鈥� 鈥渓ong-standing collaboration with Black leaders鈥�, his office said, as the royal family increasingly engages with Britain鈥檚 legacy of slavery and the country鈥檚 colonial past.
鈥淥ver the last four decades, with all the enormous changes that they have witnessed, Britain鈥檚 only surviving Black newspaper has become an institution and a crucial part of the fabric of our society,鈥� Charles said.
鈥淭his is why I was so touched to be invited to edit this special edition.鈥�
Britain鈥檚 history is marked by its central role in the slave trade and colonial rule over much of Africa and the Caribbean. Charles, who is the heir to the throne, has expressed his deep sorrow over slavery.
The so-called Windrush generation of post-war migrants from the Caribbean, named after the first ship to bring them, have continued to suffer injustice. In 2018, Britain apologised after thousands were denied basic rights despite having lived in Britain for decades and dozens were wrongly deported.
The paper includes a piece on an art exhibition to mark the 75th anniversary of Windrush and an interview with Doreen Lawrence, the mother of a schoolboy murdered by racists in 1993, who has set up a partnership in his memory to provide art scholarships, supported by the Prince鈥檚 Foundation.
鈥淥ur readers may be surprised at the parallels between the issues which The Voice has campaigned on for four decades and the work The Prince of Wales (Charles) has been involved in over the same period, often behind the scenes,鈥� said Lester Holloway, editor of The Voice.
Last year Charles traveled to Barbados for a ceremony where the Caribbean nation ditched Queen Elizabeth as head of state, forging a new republic as it reappraises its relationship with its former colonial power.
Charles鈥檚 son William鈥檚 own tour to the Caribbean in March was overshadowed by protests over Britain鈥檚 role in slavery, and criticism that the trip reflected a throwback to colonial times.
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