Movement 102

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lt R. David Muir of the Black Churches Civic Forum argues that the Stephen Lawrence enquiry was a defining moment in British history. We know that we live in an ,,institutionat[y racist" society; the virtues of mutti-cutturatism are under threat. What shoutd be the response of Christians and, in particula6 Btack-Majority Churches? Mlxed up unrilc flE Frlnurnv mlr' term school holidaY I took mY five year old daughter, Shani, to Castle Aquatics on Well Hall Road to buy a light for her fish tank. The shop is very near Stephen Lawrence's Memorial Plaque. I finally decided, goaded by her persistent questions after Neville Lawrence came to visit us and then seeing him on television constantly, that I needed to show her the Plaque and explain to her what had happened to StePhen. The experience was Painful, but necessary. How do you explain to a five year old that a young man was killed simply because he was Black? How do you begin to explain what racism is and how it debilitates and disadvantages Black and ethnic minority people in Britain? . lt was not easy' but I had to struggle to articulate the truth I knew in ways my five year old daughter could understand. She responded with sadness and the poignant innocence of her age: "Dad, if you know anything about it you How do you exPtain to a five year otd that a Young man was kitted simPtY because he was Btack? should tell the police. Those boys who killed Stephen should be in prison"' Out of the mouth of babesl ln the wake of the publication of the Macpherson Report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence the question is: Where do wil go from here? Three things immediately spring to mind. Firstly, we must not despair. We must not lose hope in the vision and virtue of a multi-racial society in spite of the experience of the Black community in its encounter with the Criminal Justice system. When you see Black people continue to be five times more likely than whites to be stopped and searched by the police; more likely to be charged; more likely to be denied bail; more likely to suffer injury and deaths in police custody; more likely to be jailed if convicted and less likely to be granted parole' it is easy to lose hope under the sheer weight of rampant discrimi natory practices. GOD o But we must not succumb to this particular temptation known as despair. Even against the odds we have to prophetically raise our voice, register our protest and reassert our Christian commitment to the vision and virtue of such a society. Christians have an important role to play in the construction and maintenance of this vision; and the history and institutional cohesion of the Black-Majority churches in the community place them in a unique position to challenge racial and social injustice. It was the recognition of the important role of the Black-Majority churches, especially their moral, institutional and potential political resource in salting and lighting the architecture and maintenance of a virtuous multi-racial society, that the Black Christian Civic Forum UK was founded. The Forum was launched in the House of Commons on MondaY 18th January, Martin Luther King Day. lts main aims are to 'promote citizenship and pursue justice' by engaging the Black-Majority churches, and the wider Black Christian constituency, more effectively in the social and political process. By providing a platform for social action, civic participation and political education the Forum hopes to engender a new culture of Black Christian social and political participation and radical commitment to a just and socially inclusive vision of modern Britain. Secondly, the churches must creatively and prophetically get more involved in the social and political structures of our society' This is the old Gospel injunction to be 'Salt and Light' and the 'leaven' of transformation. As the dominant and most cohesive institution in the Black community, the Black-Majority churches must take stock of its position and priorities. lt must use its resources and institutional strength to affect change in the wider community. This' of movement 6 It all goes back to a spring evening in 1993. Late on 22 April an 18-year-old A- level student called Stephen Lawrence and his fiiend Duwayne Brooks were making their way home after spending the day together. The boys were ]ushing to catch a bus in south-east London - Stephen was already late - when they were confronted a gang of white youths. the gang set upon Stephen, A stunned and helpless Duwayne brieflywatched in paralysed silence, before he was chased off by one of the white youths. Stephen managed to scramble as Duwayne urged him to "just run ". But he had been beaten badlY and was bleeding profusely. He collapsed after 200 yards in a pool of blood and died. Despite receiving numerous tip-offs within hours of the murder as to those who might have been responsible for the attack' officers adopted a lacklustre approach to the investigauon. Nobody has since been convicted of the murder. ln July 1997 the new Home Secretary JackStraw had announced therewere would be a public inquiry and appointed Sir William Macpherson to chair the hearing. Evidence from the inquiry kePtthe Lawrcnce case in the headlines for much of 1998. Ihis February the Macpherson repoft into the racist m urder of Stephen Lawrence has published: it labelled London's police force'institutionally racis( and condemned offi cers for'fu nd a me ntal e rrorg. Tony Blair said: ' lt will ceftainly lead to new laws but more than that itwiil bring a new eta of race relations," Jack Straw welcomed the lon(-awaited findin$s and promised sweeping iudicial retorms, most crucially extendingthe Race Relations Act to cover the police. Most controversially, however Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Condon has denied the claims and refused to res,gn. Stephen's mother Doreen Lawrence said the reportonly 'scratched the sutace. Black people are still dying on the streets and in the back of police vans. " vt { ltt ! - FI z |- v lTI z (-) l1l -{ I trl = n !Ilrl v V' o z v FT ! o v-l I I
course, will mean radically rethinking its social and political agenda. Speaking at the conference organised by BCCF on 20th March on 'The Black Christian Response to the Macpherson Report' Paul Boateng (Minister of State at the Home Office) encouraged Christians to seize the moment offered by Macpherson to help shape the social and political agenda on racialjustice and community regeneration. Black Christians can no longer politically operate in splendid isolation. On the major issues of our day the church must rise up and be counted. Bishop Desmond Tutu reminded us many years ago that silence in the face of 'unjust conditions' is 'fatal to the Church's witness to the world'. Many second and third generation African-Caribbean Christians have interpreted this silence as biblically unsound and socio-politically untenable. Silence on the part of Christians is in danger of being interpreted as indifference; and indifference will be the precursor to viewing the church as irrelevant. lf the death of Stephen Lawrence, and the lnquiry and report arising out of it, truly constitute a defining moment in British history and racial discourse, I find it inconceivable that our churches can continue 'business as usual'. Every church needs to have a copy of the conclusions and recommendations of this important Report; every church needs to consider the implications for the church and society. Thirdly, we need new perspectives, new tools, and new narratives of ascent to take us into the next millennium. At the beginning of this century the renowned African-American scholar WEB DuBois stated that the problem of the Twentieth Century was 'the problem of the colour line'. Nearly a hundred after DuBois' observation Macpherson reminds us that racism is still a problem. And the problem goes far beyond the Metropolitan Police as the Report acknowledged: "We all agree that i nstitutional racism affects the Metropolitan Police Service, and the Police Services elsewhere. Furthermore our conclusions as to Police Seryices should not lead to complacency in other institutions and organisations. Collective failure is apparent in many of them, includin! the Criminal Justice systern" (Sect 46.27) ln defining'institutional racism' Macpherson says it is: "... the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin... which amount to discrimination through unwittingl prejudice, ignorance, thought/essness, and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people" (Sect.6.34) Ail rssrffitlL pART oF fitE roola that we need in constructing these new perspectives and new narratives will be the courage and boldness to define, and redefine, ourselves by the best that is in us and not by the worst that has happened to us. The life and struggles of Equiano (an eighteenth century African who was kidnapped from West Africa at the tender age of ten, sold into slavery and later became an author and a leading Abolitionist in England) is instructive in this respect. Education and greater civic participation will help us define and design ways in which we want to engender change in ourselves, our churches and in our communities. For some of us this may mean joining political parties, the Metropolitan Police force, the magistracy and other sections of the Criminal Justice system, standing for local elections, becoming school governors, using We urgentty need responsibte and prophetic citizenship. our church halls and premises for recreational and educational activities, and making more effective use of the pulpit to preach and teach about social and racial justice. Whatever route we take we do so in the knowledge that informed Christian intervention and civic participation is both urgent and redemptive. ln short, we need an insurrection of Christian militancy against apathy, indifference and injustice in our communities. ln Matthew 25 Jesus intimates that one does not have to be a Christian to do good and care for the stranger, the destitute and those on the margins of society. However, one's place in the Kingdom is seriously called into question if one neglects the welfare of one's neighbour. This is the challenge for all of us; it is that sacred and serious juncture where faith and justice meet; where prayer and politics become instruments in the removal of barriers to equal opportunities for participation in, and contributions to, the wider society by Black and ethnic minority communities. St. Augustine said: "Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are." The death of Stephen Lawrence is both a mirror and a metaphor of our society and some of its institutions. Christians must be angry (call it 'righteous indignation' if you will) when they see injustice; they must also display courage when called upon to challenge it. This form of responsible and prophetic citizenship is urgently needed, allowing us to align ourselves anew with Hope's two daughters and advance the values of the Kingdom of God as we move into the next century. R. David Muir is Director of the Black Churches Civic Forum. lt is a coalition of churches that was set up in February and hopes to provide a platform for social action, civic participation and political education. SEEA|SO PAGE 27: lnteview with Simon Hughes, MP: The worst moment of his career, which really made him sick, was a 'race marcll in his constituency, which nearly developed into a local civil war!' movement 7
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Page 5 and 6: Go away! l: SClvt's annual retreat
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Page 19 and 20: Iternatlue ut o rl d's The weakness
Page 21 and 22: I ,, ', "Friends, every day do some
Page 23 and 24: Malcolm Brown speaks to Simon Hughe
Page 25 and 26: I ,l A comedy about the Hotocaust?
Page 27 and 28: '.{ijiffiE Wates is the new Manches
Page 29 and 30: Txr Nw RurcroH or Ltrr tru EvERvunY
Page 31 and 32: CC ne of the best ways f knout to e

Movement 102

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