October – season of mist and mellow fruitfulness and also Black History Month | Faith Matters

As a brown-skinned woman, and certainly as a child, I longed to know positive and celebratory stories of black history.

Sadly, the education system and popular culture did not provide these stories or teach about the rich and essential contributions that those of African, Asian and indigenous heritage have made to British life and Britain’s economic success.

I was at school in the 1980s, but still today only one per cent of GCSE students study an author of colour and where primary schools have not consciously pursued a policy of auditing their picture books for diversity, then the majority of black and racially-minoritised children will not see themselves, their families or their heritage represented.

Black history should not, of course, be limited to one month!

Black history is world history, it is British history.

It is too big a history to be contained in 30 days and it is equally important as White history and therefore should be present all the time, running through the consciousness of our nation.

So rather than focusing on doing something time limited in this season, we can use this month as a jumping off point for a journey into anti-racism.

For a Christian this can be seen very much in terms of the commandment to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’.

To love someone is to take the time to know them, to be interested in their perspectives and history.

To let them know how much they are valued and the value they have in our lives, making them feel seen and connected.

Anti-racism then is not an optional extra to Kingdom life, if we are to fulfil the commandment to love others as ourselves, we must be prepared to examine where our ideas and knowledge and appreciation of others falls short.

Black History Month is a chance to exercise humility and accept that we all have work to do in dismantling the racism that still blights our society and church and has no place in the kingdom of God.

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Dates for your diary

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• Slavery on our doorstep: hidden in plain sight – an event for Anti Slavery Day on Wednesday, October 18, at Fitzherbert Community Hub, Brighton, BN2 1AP. For more information about this event, running from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, do visit www.chichester.anglican.org/events/2023/10/18/slavery-our-doorstep

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• Talk on Pugin stained glass in a landmark Brighton church – at St Paul’s Church, West Street, Brighton, BN1 2RE, on Saturday, November 4, at 7pm. Join renowned historian David Beevers to explore the impressive stained glass of a church in the heart of Brighton in all their glory. Doors open from 6.30pm on the night, with drinks and nibbles served. Tickets cost only £10 per person and can be bought on the door or in advance from Mark Gourley at [email protected]

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• Cathedral Theology Network Online Courses: The Crusades, given by Charlotte Gauthier. Running at 7pm on Zoom on November 14, November 21, November 28, and December 5, these talks promise to the history, theology, and social impact of the crusades from the Middle Ages to the present day. The speaker, Charlotte Gauthier, is a doctoral researcher in history at Royal Holloway, University of London. For more information and to register internet, visit www.cathedraltheology.org/crusades