‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ So runs the US Declaration of Independence, passed on 4 July 1776, and at first glance it sounds like the perfect statement on which to found a nation. Except for one gaping flaw: many of those involved in its formulation, and a large proportion of American landowners at the time and subsequently, not only owned slaves but also depended on them for their wealth and influence. Life, liberty, happiness and unalienable rights were for White people, not Black. How could anyone begin to justify this? The answer is as simple as it is utterly horrific. In the view of most Westerners at the time, so-called ‘negroes’ were not human beings and certainly not equal. They were inferior, subhuman. For all too many at the time, Black lives didn’t matter one iota.
Despite all the talk since of the American Dream, of the US being the leader of the free world, of representing the definitive bastion of democracy, the views of many are not much different today. Racism in large parts of the country is still rife, endemic and toxic. President Trump may have stood on a platform of making America great again. The fact is, it has never been great, nor will it be so, until it addresses this key issue in its life and history.
Not that we have anything to crow about in the UK; the recent Windrush scandal exposed all too clearly the hold it has here too. But wait, someone may say. Didn’t the British Government, in 1835, set up a compensation fund on the abolition of slavery? Well, yes it did, borrowing £20 million in order to so – a fortune in today’s money; one of the largest loans ever taken out in history, which was only finally paid off by the taxpayer in 2015. But not a penny went to slaves; it all went to their owners, to make up for their loss of ‘property’.
The lived experience of far too many people of colour in this country remains, tragically, one of prejudice, discrimination and limited opportunity. Yes, huge strides have been made, for which we should truly be thankful, yet a lot of the gains we think we have made are no more than a thin veneer, which could easily be peeled away in certain circumstances. The far right – a growing menace here and beyond that we ignore at our peril – would love to see that happen, and are always looking to foment hatred and violence, as evidenced at several Black Lives Matter rallies. Do not be taken in by the rent-a-mob’s attempts to discredit a vital cause. Their sole aim is to poison public opinion. On no account must that be allowed to happen. Too many people of colour still live with the odds stacked against them. Too many are treated as though they don’t matter. We cannot lay claim to being ‘Great’ Britain until we have fairly and squarely addressed the wrongs of the past.
Recent tragic events have united people across the world in shared outrage and a desire to see real change, galvanising them to take action. None of us can afford to let this moment slip by. The colonial history of the West – of White people – is not a proud one. In truth, it is shameful. We cannot change the past, but we can and must shape the present. Only then can we begin to repay the debt owed to so many.
In light of all this, over the next week I’m going to post some of my prayers and reflections on the theme of prejudice and racism. Use them to consider the issues further, and to commit yourself to supporting and campaigning in whatever ways open to you for lasting and genuine racial justice.