Celebrating Black History Month

On 27 October, our parish communion was centred on Black History Month, and incorporated some traditions of Black Anglicans across the globe. Florence Okoye, a member of the St. Andrew’s community, spoke about the untold stories of many Black Christians, focussing on some individuals whose icon-like images were displayed around the walls.  

Our Vicar, Jonathan Brown, wore a cope which had been commissioned from artist Terry Duffy for a service at Westminster Abbey commemorating the Windrush 20th anniversary in 2018. It incorporates images of the Empire Windrush, Sam King, a passenger who went on to become the first Black Mayor of Southwark, Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the first Black woman bishop in the Church of England, Windrush nurses and Black police officers, as well as the gravestone of Stephen Lawrence and the notorious ‘No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs’ sign. We are grateful to the Racial Justice Unit of the Church of England for its loan. 

This service reflected our intention to be an increasingly inclusive church, also signalled by flying a Black History Month flag in the Community Garden throughout October.