During the ceremony marking Barbados’s historic transition to a republic, Prince Charles referred to the “appalling atrocity of slavery”, describing the period as the “darkest days of our past” and adding that, moving forward, the “creation of this republic offers a new beginning”. Though this was welcomed by some as a bold statement, it stopped short of an apology and was felt to be  a missed opportunity to make amends, on behalf of all that he represents, for the impact of slavery, a system in which Britain played a leading role. Britain’s entire infrastructure, and that of all its institutions, was built off the backs of enslaved black people.

As the legacy of slavery continue to violently reverberate across generations of black people, any form of apology or reparations from the crown or the British government have yet to be received. Writing in the Independent, Nadine White says: "There’s more work to be done in truly escaping the grips of colonialism and reclaiming a sense of black identity, above and beyond the brutal corridors of our past, even if that aspect of the journey will forever be included in the story. Those who benefit from the plight of black people, whether inadvertently or otherwise, ought to take responsibility because simply stating facts isn’t going to cut it. That cannot buy bread."
Read the full article here.

In our previous post we reported a main BBC news item on the Government Windrush Compensation Scheme, where a group of MPs were asking for it to be removed from the Home Office due to the low rate of payouts made so far. We have since been contacted by a member of the Windrush Cross Government Working Group who told us the data used by the MPs was "dated" and therefore now inaccurate.

The latest situation includes:

• 42% of those who have applied for compensation have received a final offer, while 29% of compensation claims have received a payment. 
• The 5% figure some news outlets have used is based on the number of payments made against old estimates on the number of people eligible for compensation (which estimated there were around 15,000 people eligible), which we have since revised (to 4,000-6,000) following analysis and insight from extensive outreach and engagement with people affected. 
• Since the changes the group made to the Scheme last December, the amount of compensation paid has risen from less than £3 million to over £31.6 million, with a further £5.6 million having been offered. 
• There is no cap on the amount of compensation that can be paid out and the group will ensure that members of the Windrush generation receive every penny of compensation that they are entitled to
• Over 13,800 people have been issued with documentation confirming their status or British citizenship.

  He went on to say: "The Working Group is a critical friend of the Home Office and Government and my main interest is accuracy of information to counter any attempts to either talk up or talk down the actual state of play. Whatever people make of the statistics the government put out – and part of my group’s work is to provide robust challenge internally – the latest information on the Compensation Scheme is available here". 

The main story on BBC News today was the continuing delay on compensation payments to victims of the Windrush scandal. The scandal saw thousands of UK residents - most of whom were originally from the Caribbean from back in the 40's, 50's and 60's, wrongly classed as illegal immigrants. The compensation scheme was started in 2019, but delays have meant that by September 2021, only one in five of an estimated 15,000 eligible claimants had applied to the scheme and only a quarter of these had received compensation. 23 have died before receiving compensation. Now a cross-party group of MPs have asked that the scheme be taken from the Home Office and recommended an "independent organisation" should be handed responsibility for running the scheme, to "increase trust and encourage more applicants". Read the full story and listen to interviews here.

The recent testimony of ex-Yorkshire and England cricketer Azeem Rafiq to a parliamentary committee of the constant racism he suffered from team mates makes horrific listening and reading. Yet, amid the shock and hand-wringing and calls for something to be done, racists continue to react as though there isn't a problem. Some of the online comments are highlighted in this article by Tom Peck who says:  "There has to be an understanding, first and foremost, that racism is alive and well in Britain today. It is thriving. It is hammering out of the fingers of ever more emboldened keyboard warriors up and down the country, and it doesn’t stop there." Other, worse online comments continue to be made.

This is a deeply entrenched problem. That, farcically Yorkshire Cricket Club is being allowed to conduct its own investigation is another facet of it. Rafiq is rightly being praised for his courage in taking a stand, but Peck concludes pessimistically "there remains the growing evidence that things are going backwards".

After this year's Black History Month the Guardian asked prominent Black British figures to assess where the UK stands in terms of equality and cohesion. Actor David Harewood says: 'There are voices on the right that are aggressively seeking to stamp out any discussion of white complicity in the disadvantage of black people. ... But that’s because they don’t understand that slavery and colonialism are the roots of what we go through today. The legacy of slavery is racism.'

Other voices include MPs, academics, writers and designers. Lester Holloway, editor of the Voice comments: 'a narrative of “common cause” is emerging between all oppressed communities'. (This is exactly the dynamic MJR has been seeking to draw attention to!). Read the full article here.

Founding trustee of MJR Clifford Hill has written an article for Black History Month in Prophecy Today on his early ministry in London amongst the original Windrush generation, going back to 1952, just 4 years after the ship arrived.  Unlike many British churches, Clifford and Monica offered a welcome and support, so much so that "my church house became known locally as the ‘Jamaican Labour Exchange’ as so many came for help and friendly advice." This was a "massive indictment of British churches that were unable, or unwilling, to offer simple love and hospitality to the newcomers who all came from Christian backgrounds and were desperately in need of friendship and help." In a fascinating insight into the early years in the UK of these migrants, Clifford writes about his experiences and the growth of the all-black churches, showing that they did not lose their Christian faith. Download and read the full article here (with kind permission of Prophecy Today.)

For Black History Month Experience London has teamed up with the Black Cultural Archives to launch the first ever Black History Tube map, celebrating the rich and varied contribution Black people have made to London and the UK from Pre-Tudor times to the present day. Read more about some of the people featured here. Click the image to see the full map.

Author Jeremy Williams' book "Climate Change....is Racist" looks at the connection between climate change and race as well as what can be done to bring about climate justice. He will be discussing these issues at an online event on November 18. 

​Climate change is an example of structural racism – something that will affect people in different ways and can result in divides along racial lines. The effect of climate change on the Global South is rarely highlighted and it’s something that will affect us all in the future. Those in the world who have contributed the least to this crisis will undoubtedly suffer the most. More information and booking here.

This is a podcast series by Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias C------. Episodes 1 and 2 were launched online on Wednesday 22 September at 6pm, with Episode 3 to follow in November. This is part of the Henry Moore Institute's Our Monuments Research Season.

There has been a lot of talk, to put it mildly, about Britain’s statues and slavery. But what about Britain’s statues and anti-slavery? It turns out, that, while statues of slavers are among the statues Britain shows off, statues of anti-slavery activists are, in curious contrast, some of the statues Britain hides. To take us into Black History Month in the UK, this podcast series asks what, exactly, in its anti-slavery statues, Britain is hiding.

More info and links to download the first two podcasts and transcripts here.

A special event as part of this year's Black History Month, hosted by UNISON Manchester.

An afternoon of celebration, history, inspiration, culture, recognition and engagement with performances, speakers, a play and refreshments. All are welcome and you don't have to be a union member to attend.

The event is being held at Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square on Wednesday 6 October 2021 from 2pm - 5pm. more information and booking here.