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Autumn On-line Lecture with Jeffrey Boakye

Church in Motion: Facing up to racism

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The pitiless murder of George Floyd in May 2020 compelled attention to the racism embedded in all parts of society. A year later, England footballers were jeered by their own fans for taking the knee - jeers which some defined as a reaction against “identity politics”. After the tournament’s final, three young England players - Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka - were racially abused.

Like the England team, churches in the UK are greatly enriched by people from ethnic minorities. However, despite our lionizing of those Christians who have fought against slavery and apartheid, there is abundant evidence that white Christians are much more likely than non-religious white people to deny the existence of structural racism. What does the Church need to learn?

Jeffrey Boakye - who grew up in Corpus Christi parish in Brixton Hill - will help us to face this question. As well as being a father, he is an author, educator, journalist and broadcaster who currently co-presents the Radio 4 music show Add to Playlist, alongside the singer Cerys Matthews. Jeffrey has a particular interest in issues surrounding race, masculinity, education and popular culture.