The Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce, set up last autumn to recommend changes to ensure greater racial equality in the Church of England, has issued an update on its work. The full text is here. The Taskforce aims to publish its final report on 22nd April 2021 – Stephen Lawrence Day.
More information on the group and its work is available here.
The Taskforce recently (8 February) also issued a statement expressing pastoral concern for Jarel Robinson-Brown (see our earlier article Jarel Robinson-Brown and the Diocese of London).
I am impressed by the both the tone and the urgency of these documents. A Taskforce, established in October 2020, which has already established a clear vision for where it wants to go, and which intends publishing a final report by April. And it found the time for an effective, pro-active intervention in the Jarel Robinson-Brown story as well. The workstreams for the proposed Racial Justice Commission are interesting. When the National Trust recently published research showing how many of its properties had been funded by the proceeds of slavery it received a dressing down from Government ministers for its… Read more »
It would be interesting to see how the Government responds if the church decided to remove any monuments or provide more information about the person commemorated.
The Communities Secretary has arrogated to himself the power to decide what should be permitted in public places. His writ does not (as yet) run to church premises.
One of my favourite parts of a church visit is looking at the over the top inscriptions on the memorials. These were particularly common in the 18 th Century. I often find myself wondering if the individual commemorated was really the paragon of virtue described.