Welcome to the Racial Justice page for the Kensington Area; a place to find out more about what we are doing in this space.  If you  work or live in the area, we hope that you will find the following information useful.

Useful downloads

An intro to antiracism - shaping a just future

Kensington Area racial justice research (infographic)

Racial Justice Advisory Group Terms of Reference

Books

  • Ben Lindsay – We Need to Talk About Race: accessible, honest, and written with the church in view.
  • Chine McDonald – God is Not a White Man: beautifully written and really opens up the conversation around race, gender, and representation.
  • Al Barrett & Ruth Harley – Being Interrupted:  Reimagining the Church’s Mission from the Outside, In (2020)
    Practical and theological reflection on deconstructing white, middle-class assumptions in mission. Great for clergy ready to be challenged from the margins.
  • Michael Jagessar & Anthony Reddie – Postcolonial Black British Theology: New Textures and Themes (2007)
    Academic but useful for thinking more deeply about racial justice in theological terms, especially within a British postcolonial frame.
  • Delroy Hall – Navigating Loss in a Time of Crisis (2022)
    While not solely focused on race, Hall (a Black British theologian and counsellor) offers pastoral and spiritual insight into grief and trauma, with resonance for racialised communities and pastoral ministry.
  • David Olusoga – Black and British: great both as a book and as a BBC series — excellent for giving historical depth without overwhelming people
  • Emma Dabiri – Don’t Touch My Hair (2019) Engaging personal-cultural reflection that opens up Black British identity, beauty, and systemic bias in everyday life.
  • Reni Eddo-Lodge – Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (2017)
    Still widely read and referenced — though not from a church angle, it’s excellent at naming systemic issues in British society.
  • Paul Gilroy – There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack (2021): this seminal UK text recognised the enormous complexity with racial politics and examined the relationship between racism and nationalism.

Podcasts

  • The Church Times Podcast – “Azariah France-Williams on racism in the Church”
    A short, clear intro to Ghost Ship and institutional challenges.
  • Tea and Theology – Anthony Reddie episodes
    Great accessible audio on postcolonial theology and the Black experience
  • The Nomad Podcast – Chine McDonald episode (July 2021)
  • A moving interview that opens up identity, privilege, and inclusion in the church.
  • GodPod Episode 149 – “Sharon Prentis on Racism and Intercultural Church” (2020)
    Sharon Prentis reflects on racism as a theological issue, the challenge of becoming intercultural churches, and the implications for ministry in the UK. Grounded, hopeful, and deeply relevant for Anglican clergy.
  • The Third Way – Jess Mally
    This podcast explores the worlds of the mind, art and how people function together, in the context of social justice and activism.
  • The Cosmic Way – Barbara Holmes
    Reflections from the late Rev Barbara Holmes that goes goes beyond race and racism to consider relatedness as the organizing principle of the universe, exploring our shared cosmic origins though a cultural lens that fuses science, mysticism, spirituality, and the creative arts.

Film & Video

  • Black and British: A Forgotten History (BBC series by David Olusoga)
    Essential for group viewing or discussion starters.
  • Small Axe (BBC/Amazon – Steve McQueen)
    Anthology film series exploring Black British life in the 1960s–80s.
    “Mangrove” and “Education” particularly relevant for systemic injustice and church discussion.
  • The Unfinished Business of Race (Church of England YouTube, 2021)
    A Church of England discussion following the From Lament to Action report — useful for internal context and where the church currently is (and isn’t).