Racial Justice Sunday

“UK needs affirmative action plan, says Jesse Jackson” according, that is, to the Guardian headline on Friday 6^th September.

(God bless the Guardian, and thank you for Jesse Jackson.  Also, vice versa)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/06/jackson-affirmative-action-uk

Today, Hugh Muir asks (also in the Guardian) where is Britain’s Jesse Jackson?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/08/where-is-britains-jesse-jackson
Where indeed?!

I was sorry and ashamed that the church I attended allowed Racial Justice Sunday to pass without doing anything to raise awareness of the injustices in our supposedly egalitarian and tolerant society.  Injustices like these:

–        Roma and Gypsy and Traveller communities experiencing the worst health outcomes of all communities in the UK, and a life expectancy 10 years lower than the average

–        Roma, Gypsy and Traveller pupils continuing to be the most at risk of under-achievement in our education system

Nor did the leader of the service use her sermon (on Paul’s epistle to Philemon) to point out that Christianity can and should put us in a new and radically different relationship with people at the bottom of the social pile.

Nobody gave thanks for the beautiful and wonderful diversity of our society.

So let me say, I am glad to share my lovely homeland with the Romani people, with Irish Travellers and with Showmen. I recognise their contribution to our culture, their amazing history, their stubborn resilience and their enormous gift for helping us simply to enjoy life – if only we let them draw up alongside us, and share our space for a while!