- We have recently completed a film project: 'After the Flood: the Church, Slavery and Reconciliation'
- From Compliance to Disruption: an online session on practical racial awareness for church leaders.
- We have developed a portable exhibition on the legacy of colonial slavery, now available as a resource for free hire.
- To mark the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre, MJR helped to facilitate a service at Manchester Cathedral on 7 July 2019.
- 2016-2017: Short-term Research Projects to identify issues of legacy.
- In 2015 MJR set up a Study Centre in Manchester - the first, we hope, of a number around the country.
- Study and Training Courses
MJR has been working with Professor Robert Beckford and several professional film-makers to develop and produce a new 67 minute feature documentary on the theme of Christian Reconciliation. 'After the Flood: the Church, Slavery and Reconciliation' was premiered in London on May 25 2022. Learn more here.
Making a broadcast-quality film is expensive and we have put a substantial amount from our reserves into a project that we believe can be of significance. Some further funding would help in distribution costs – if you would like to help, or know more, please get in touch.
Making a broadcast-quality film is expensive and we have put a substantial amount from our reserves into a project that we believe can be of significance. Some further funding would help in distribution costs – if you would like to help, or know more, please get in touch.
From Compliance to Disruption: practical racial awareness for church leaders was an online session sponsored by MJR and led by Mike Royal and David Shosonya. It took place on May 25, 2021, the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd. With the busy-ness of church leaders in mind, this was 2 hours of plain-speaking and digging down into practical issues. The event was recorded: input from Mike and David is here; the excellent Q&A time is here. These are free to listen to, but please consider making a donation to MJR.
At MJR we believe the legacy of colonial slavery impacts us all, nationally and individually. To explain how, we have developed an exhibition on this legacy for use as a resource resource for schools, museums, libraries, local organisations, community groups or churches. Originally part of our Zong project, but always intended for wider use, the exhibition consists of eight information panels and an interactive desk, It looks at the history of colonial slavery and also the ongoing effects on the descendants, not just of those who suffered, but of those who benefitted.
As well as educating about colonial slavery (largely glossed over in British schools) the exhibition seeks to answer the question: "What has this got to do with Britain today?" The aim is not to produce a guilt trip but to get people thinking about their respective "unearned privilege and daily indignities" and to ask why the silence and historical amnesia on the facts and effects of slavery.
The exhibition is now available for free hire. Click here for more details.
As well as educating about colonial slavery (largely glossed over in British schools) the exhibition seeks to answer the question: "What has this got to do with Britain today?" The aim is not to produce a guilt trip but to get people thinking about their respective "unearned privilege and daily indignities" and to ask why the silence and historical amnesia on the facts and effects of slavery.
The exhibition is now available for free hire. Click here for more details.
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2019 marked the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre. On 16th August, 1819, 60,000 working people gathered peacefully to support calls for parliamentary reform. The authorities panicked and sent in troops, including cavalry, whose charge led to 15 deaths and over 650 injuries – many of them life-changing. The churches mostly took the side of the authorities, believing the poor should be “resigned to their God-given lot”. In fact several of he magistrates who gave the fateful order were clergymen. The injustices of Peterloo and its legacy echo down the generations and MJR recognises the importance of this tragedy as an example of the oppression of working class people, the legacy of which continues to today.
For this reason, MJR prompted and worked with others on a special service at Manchester Cathedral on Sunday 7 July 2019 to commemorate this bi-centenary. The themes were of penitence for the Church’s past collusion, celebration of present faith-based work for justice and equality, and a re-commitment to fighting injustice and inequality in the present and future.
There were a lot of events and activities in the summer of 2019 for the 200th anniversary of Peterloo, but this is the only one that we are aware of that the Churches organised, which is a pity given the significance of the occasion and the collusion of a number of church leaders at the time.
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Through 2016 and 2017 members of MJR have led a series of short-term research projects. These were presented in the 'Proving Legacy' report to an open meetings in November 2016 at the Open University in London. The health issues were researched further and presented in the 'Talking Legacy' report in September 2017 at CTE in London. Each piece of research sought to identify a way in which the legacy of historical slavery is impacting our modern social situation. Both reports can be downloaded from the Resources page.
- Educational Achievement: Has the British education system led to educational underachievement of those in the African Caribbean diaspora and the white working classes? Are there any shared factors?
- Mental Health: To what extent are the experiences of colonial slavery still impacting the psychological and mental health of those from the African Caribbean diaspora? (Preliminary article by Nigel Pocock on Mindsets.)
- Physical Health: To what extent is there a direct link between chattel enslavement and debilitating illnesses which are prevalent among those from the Caribbean such as diabetes, alcohol addiction and sickle cell anaemia?
The MJR Study Centre in Manchester is hosted by the Nazarene Theological College. It is hoped that this partnership will lead to the creation of research and teaching opportunities. We have a growing collection of relevant study materials for both students and others interested in gaining an understanding of the legacy of slavery which can be accessed at the NTC Library. When feasible a hot desk will be made available at the college and local MJR Manchester meetings and events can be hosted there. The college will also co-promote MJR activities and, subject to availability, provide space for events. Download a leaflet.
A local MJR group supports the Study Centre - email for more details.
A local MJR group supports the Study Centre - email for more details.
Further ideas being explored for the Manchester Study Centre include:
- Working in partnership with the college to support research into aspects of the legacies of both colonial slavery and industrial exploitation.
- Mentoring possibilities with members of MRJ for students if required.
- Establishing an initial or pre-academic course to make learning about the legacy of slavery accessible to all. An initial 5-week evening course was run as part of Manchester Bible School in September 2015.
- Offering training to those in already in leadership and establishing a forum for supporting those ‘working at the coal face’.
- Developing further resources.
- Utilising and promoting the research material of other MJR partners such as the Open University for use in schools, churches and other educational and community contexts.
MJR has also run a number of courses on the legacy of slavery with our own or guest speakers. These have been in colleges, churches and other venues, including at the Gladstone Library with Dr Nicholas Draper whose research led to the setting up of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery with its database of slave-ownership in Britain.