A recent article in Prospect Magazine by David Leigh investigates the "less than savoury" past of Balintore Castle: "a fairytale scene with conical turrets of antique fishtail slate. It is easy to imagine Rapunzel letting down her long hair from its Disneyesque towers". However, "scratch the surface and the shameful truth of Britain’s wealth, generated by the transatlantic slave trade, emerges." Current owner David Johnston has spent ten years restoring the castle but, as detailed in his blog, was "quite badly shaken" when he found out it was one of several "no-expense-spared" projects built by the Lyon family from the proceeds of slave ownership.

The Balintore story is one of many examples of how the “long-lost story”, as Tom Devine, a professor at the Edinburgh university, calls it, "rises everywhere out of the earth—even in such a little corner of Scotland." Leigh is hopeful that we can come to understand: "more of Britain’s true heritage, rather than the fake kind we sell to tourists."

Read the full article here (a free account is needed to access). Read David Johnston's blog here.

Commenting on the recent renewed debate about reparations for colonisation and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade that came out of Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer's attendance at the Commonwealth summit, Conservative Party leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick claimed the former colonies owed the UK a "debt of gratitude for the inheritance we left them".

His remarks have been widely criticised. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations said: “These comments are deeply offensive and an obnoxious distortion of history. Enslavement and colonialism were not ‘gifts’ but imposed systems that brutally exploited people, extracted wealth, and dismantled societies, all for the benefit of Britain. To suggest that former colonies should be ‘grateful’ for such unimaginable harm disregards the legacy of these injustices and the long-term impact they still have on many nations today.”
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Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a lawyer and activist, described Mr Jenrick as a “political illiterate”, adding: “Britain would be nothing without colonised African and Asian nations.”

Read more here.

Reviewing the actual history, commentator Sean O'Grady, said: "In most of the empire... the British did not spend much time on building democratic institutions, and economic development was for the benefit of the mother country; a cheap source of food, raw materials and indeed troops in two world wars. Many colonies had been “independent” in the sense of not being dominated by anyone, and even if they were it doesn’t make it OK for the Europeans to take over. Their borders were defined by the people who lived there, and not by arbitrary lines on maps drawn by statesmen at international conferences in Europe. The scramble for Africa, in particular, left many future independent states politically unstable and economically unviable as a result of decisions made in London, Berlin, Paris, Lisbon and Madrid. By the time the British were forced out of their imperial possessions, many of these nations were poorly prepared for self-rule and some, notably British India, Ireland and Palestine, were partitioned with long-lasting consequences."

A new survey by Prostate Cancer Research, shows that 69% of Black adults are unaware that Black men face a twofold increased risk of developing prostate cancer in their lifetime, and also that almost a quarter of Black men attempting to get tested in the past year reported being blocked by a GP. This is partly due to a lack of awareness of the increased risk, but according to the poll of 2,000 Black adults, nearly 25% believe discrimination has prevented them from being tested for prostate cancer, while 1 in 3 believe discrimination has stopped them from being tested or treated for medical problems in general. Less than half think they would receive the same level of care from the NHS as their white counterparts.

Prostate cancer survivor Brian Quavar said: "Getting us, as Black people, to participate in research presents a challenge, because there’s an issue of trust in the health system.”

Prostate Cancer Research state: 1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men, who have a 1 in 8 chance of getting prostate cancer. We don’t know why, but it might be linked to genes. We're funding research to find out why Black men are at higher risk of prostate cancer than other men.

• Read more here.
• ​Read more from Prostate Cancer Research here.

The Windrush scandal had its origins in laws that were specifically designed to strip Black and Asian people of their rights to live in the UK, according to a new report. The Conservative government refused to publish the report in 2022 but, following a decision by a tribunal judge last year, the Labour administration has published it in full.

The report, The Historical Roots Of The Windrush Scandal, concludes that the scandal was the culmination of three decades of racist immigration laws designed to reduce the UK’s non-white population and disenfranchise Black people.

​It highlights that the “deep-rooted racism of the Windrush scandal” is a result of government policies designed to reduce the proportion of people living in the United Kingdom who did not have white skin – specifically major immigration legislation in 1962, 1968 and 1971. “Every single piece of immigration or citizenship legislation was designed at least in part to reduce the number of people with Black or brown skin who were permitted to live and work in the UK,” the report reads.

Read more here. Read the report here.

Six years into the Home Office’s Windrush scandal a significant backlog still exists in the processing of cases and payment of compensation claims. The government’s own estimates suggest more than 50,000 people may be affected. Ahead of this year's Windrush Day celebrations campaigners are demanding citizenship to be granted to all families affected by the scandal within the first 100 days of the new government. A coalition of anti-racism charities and groups has unveiled a “Home Office scandal manifesto”, outlining key demands for new ministers after the general election on July 4th.

Glenda Caesar, community campaigner and survivor of the Windrush scandal, said: “It’s time the Windrush generation received full and rightful recognition as British citizens and real progress is made to rectify the harm done by the scandal. With this important Windrush manifesto launch, Windrush advocates and community leaders would like to remind all political parties that the Windrush generation were invited to the UK to help rebuild Great Britain. They were proud to call themselves British. Remembering their vital contribution, we all ask the next government to end discriminatory legislation and unfair practices that foster hostility towards the Windrush generation and their families.”

The Windrush Compensation Scheme was created in 2019 but human rights, race equality, and community groups have criticised it as unfit for purpose due to its complexity and delays. As of March 2024, the scheme has disbursed £85.86m across 2,382 claims – out of a predicted 15,000 eligible claims – and provided citizenship documents to more than 16,800 individuals.

​Read more here.

Photo by Steve Eason.

Reports today of the sentencing of a man who sold 20,000 bottles of illegal skin lightening products on Ebay has brought the issue of 'colourism' into the news.  Colourism is a system of inequality that views fairer hues as more beautiful than darker skin complexions. Studies have shown that it is often the reason behind skin lightening, a practice common among people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in the UK, US and parts of the Caribbean and Africa. Many remain unaware of the health risks, including increased chances of skin cancer, plus liver and kidney damage. The lightening products routinely contain hydroquinone or corticosteroids, both banned and dangerous chemicals. One called 'Pure White Dark Spot Corrector Serum' contains both but does not list them as ingredients.
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Labour MP Kim Johnson commented. “Illegal skin lightening products are incredibly dangerous, not just because of the physical harm they can do but also because they reinforce Eurocentric beauty standards and valorise fair skin at the expense of darker complexions. That this legacy of colonialist attitudes is still so prevalent and these products are still widely available in 2024 is a stain on our society, and must be stamped out. These attitudes stretch far beyond the realm of beauty standards and are reflected in the economic and structural oppression of people with darker skin.” She is calling for tougher government restrictions on the sale of these items.

Read more about this story here. Read more about colourism in the book 'Shades of Black: The Origins of Colour Consciousness in the Caribbean', available here.

New research by pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb and charity Shine Cancer Support shows that people from minority ethnic backgrounds face an average of a year’s delay between first noticing symptoms and receiving a diagnosis of cancer – twice as long as white people. Ceinwen Giles, co-CEO of Shine Cancer Support said: “In a year that’s revealed that the UK’s cancer survival lags behind comparable countries, I am saddened but unsurprised that people from minority ethnic groups face additional hurdles that delay their diagnosis.”

The data showed that people from ethnic groups were more likely to attribute their symptoms to other conditions (51% compared to 31%) and not take their symptoms seriously (34% against 21%), compared with white people and were more concerned about wasting NHS time and resources (52% compared to 42%) or their GP's time (32% against 18%).

For some an added complication was being caught up in the Windrush scandal. Simon Greene's compromised eligibility to live and receive free treatment in the UK meant he had to find £42,000 to pay for his cancer treatment. He is still awaiting compensation from the Home Office.

Read more in this article from The Independent. Read the research report '1,000 voices, not 1: A report highlighting differences in cancer care in the UK' here.

The £100 million fund set up by the Church of England in early 2023 to compensate for its historical benefit from the international slave trade had been deemed "insufficient relative either to the scale of the [commissioners’] endowment or to the scale of the moral sin and crime" by a report from an independent group of advisers commissioned by the C of E. In echoes of comments at the time, reported here by Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England, and MJR advisor, who described £100m as a: "drop in the ocean in terms of righting the wrongs of the slave trade", the report said the proposed fund was “very small compared to the scale of racial disadvantage originating in African chattel enslavement”. The report proposed a “fund for healing, repair and justice” with a target of £1bn. The fund should aim to attract capital from three sources: the Church Commissioners; “other institutions once complicit in African chattel enslavement”; and contributors who “outraged by injustice, wish to make common cause against racial inequality”

While welcoming the report, the Church Commissioners are not increasing the £100m investment but are aiming to attract co-investors to increase the fund’s value. CEO Gareth Mostyn said £100m was the “appropriate financial commitment … at this stage” while ensuring that they could honour existing commitment to parishes and other church activities. The commissioners would “at some point in the future consider whether to invest more”.

Group chair the Right Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallett said: “No amount of money can fully atone for or fully redress the centuries-long impact of African chattel enslavement, the effects of which are still felt around the world today.” These effects are “measurable and apparent in everything from pregnancy and childbirth outcomes to life chances at birth, physical and mental health, education, employment, income, property, and the criminal justice system. We hope this initiative is just the start and is a catalyst to encourage other institutions to investigate their past and make a better future for impacted communities.”

Kehinde Andrews, professor of black studies at Birmingham City University, said it was "impossible to quantify" the lasting impact of slavery or just how much the Church had benefited from it.

Historian David Olusoga commented: "I’m very pleased to see the church recognising that it has a catalytic potential. This is an organisation that is hugely respected around the world that can inspire other organisations to make the same leap into their own history.”

The report also recommended the timeline for delivery should be accelerated. A contact of MJR's has commented that, 14 months after its announcement, the process for the distribution of the funds "is pretty well non-existent". No money has yet been disbursed.

Read more here and here. Read the report itself here.

Right Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the C of E's first female black bishop in a stinging rebuke against government ministers and others “who are threatened” by the social justice movement has declared “Woke” should not be used as a negative term. Speaking at General Synod Hudson-Wilkin said such people want others to think it was a “sin created by the left.”

“When it comes to the topic of racial justice, I have heard the word ‘woke’ being bandied about by many people, including government ministers, certain radio presenters and those in the media. And in every case, they’ve used it incorrectly. The term woke originated in the USA and it was a black terminology, speaking specifically and directly to black people regarding the need to wake up and stay alert, to be consciously aware. So it is not just a mere word, it is a movement.

“Those who are threatened by the authenticity of this movement want to scare us into thinking that being woke is a sin created by people on the left. But as the people of God, we should never be afraid or embarrassed of being called an advent people, always in the business of preparing and staying alert. So I want to address the elephant in the room… in case there is anybody nurturing those incorrect thoughts and mumbling under one’s breath or to your neighbour, ‘here we go again’, negatively using the term woke.

“We must remain awake to the reality that the church’s commitment to racial justice is not the church attempting to follow the world’s direction of travel regarding inclusion, equality and diversity, but instead it is a given. It comes from a deep desire to follow the lead of Christ.”

The issue of racial justice was not an “optional extra that we can choose to address if we feel like it. The racial justice mandate flows not from identity politics, but from our primary identity in Christ. The gospel calls us to prophetically address head-on the evils in our society, indeed in our world, which leave some parts of humanity dehumanised.”

The General Synod, the C of E’s ruling assembly, decided by 364-0 votes that all parishes should develop local action plans to address racial injustice and dioceses should collect relevant data on race and ethnicity.

​Read more here and here.

Last night 60 people attended a screening of the MJR documentary ​‘After the Flood: the church, slavery and reconciliation' at the Light Cinema in Stockport. Organised by Stockport Racial Equality Partnership and United Stockport Methodist Circuit In partnership with the Movement for Reconciliation and Justice charity, the screening was followed by a conversation and Q&A hosted by S-REP's Aba Graham with panel members: Rev Cathy Bird, Rev Raj Patta and historian Linford Sweeney.

​If you would like to host a screening of After the Flood, find out more here.