Church remembers slavery in radicals' park

The Church is both apologising and commemorating

Christians have gathered in London to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

The sight of men in purple cassocks swaying to the music of a black gospel choir is probably not a common one in south London's Kennington Park.

The park has a long and colourful history as a site of public executions and as a grassy pulpit for radical politicians from 18th Century firebrands to 19th Century Chartists.

The thousands who braced the biting cold on Saturday to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire probably felt themselves to be following in a long tradition.

They came partly to mark the Church of England's apology for its role in the trade, including the use of slaves on plantations in the Caribbean.

But they also came to celebrate the role of Anglicans and other Christians in its abolition.

Parishioners had come from all over the country

Lay minister at Holy Trinity church in Birmingham Jean Reid said the whole history of slavery was being marked.

"We need to remember what out forbears and ancestors went through. We might not be thrown off ships now, but there is still slave labour.

"We are all God's creatures. Black, pink or whatever."

Evadney Christian, from the same congregation, said she welcomed the commemoration, but that not enough was done to recognise the importance of black activists and slaves in abolition.

"They are not getting the recognition. The slaves themselves, they started it."

The crowd listened to an anti-racism vignette

The service at Kennington marked the end of a week of events, which included a group of activists marching to London in the manner of slaves, restrained by yokes.

Peter Adams, who was one of a group of activists who walked from Hull to London wearing a yoke, said it had been a humbling experience.

"Once or twice I had a real sense of shame, just the shame at walking in such a demeaning way.

"You lose your identity. You have to move as one. You have to fall into step."

Vicar at Emmanuel church in Southall, west London, Arani Sen, said: "Slavery was just such a big part of the lives of people in our congregation because of their backgrounds. It has been humbling for me to learn their experiences.

The Church is campaigning hard against modern slavery

"Christians and others stood up for justice. Small things can change the world."

But he said racism and slavery remained a massive issue.

"The church has moved on. Even in the 1950s people came from the Caribbean and were rejected from churches. There has been racism latent in the church.

"Slavery is still going on, especially child slavery in places like Bangladesh. Some of the clothes we wear are basically made through slavery."

Bishop of Croydon Nick Baines said it was important that the Church had recognised the role it played in slavery.

Marchers said they felt humbled by the experience

But he said the issue of whether reparations should be paid was a complicated one.

"Do the Africans have to pay themselves reparations for selling their people into slavery?

"How do you compensate for something in which so many people were complicit?"

For many of those present the key issue is not just dealing with the horrors of the past, but confronting those of the present.

Bishop Baines adds: "The church is very involved in fighting modern slavery, particularly sex trafficking, a massive trade that needs to be toppled."