Don’t judge a book by its cover Mr Jenrick – by Joe Aldred

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I was born in Jamaica, a former Spanish then British slave colony. My father migrated to this country as a young man to find work to support his family and I joined him when I was in my mid-teens.

I am a descendant of enslaved Africans and a son of Empire. I am here because you were there. I fully embrace my hybrid identity as both British and Jamaican.

I learned from my parents, my faith and my experience to understand the racism I experienced as both a personal and a collective reality. It was never something that I allowed to define me, but something that needed to be resisted.

‘Not seeing another white face’

It’s against this contextual backdrop that I’ve been thinking about the Conservative MP and Shadow Minister Robert Jenrick’s comment about being in Handsworth in Birmingham for hour and a half and ‘not seeing another white face’.

It later turned out that Mr Jenrick had not actually visited Handsworth, but the adjoining district of Aston. But despite his faulty geography, knowing both areas as I do, I believe Jenrick’s observation is entirely plausible.

And it’s observation I don’t mind him making. I’m not upset and won’t pretend to be, unlike so many online keyboard warriors. The tendency to attempt to shout people down or de-platform speakers is not something I like to engage in.

I defend everyone freedom to speak as they wish, within the law. This freedom is vital if we are to grow into the rich multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith society we aspire to.

Free

But the truth is Mr Jenrick wouldn’t need to travel far to find areas where all he would find are white faces. Recently, I spent some time in Droitwich and I didn’t see many black faces like mine. But I’m not upset about that either. Citizens should be free to settle where they wish and can afford.

Ethnic and cultural peoples will always gravitate towards others like themselves because ‘birds of a feather flock together’. White English people do this around the world!

Consistent

But to be consistent, Mr Jenrick should not feel able to speak of Handsworth or Aston in the way he has, whilst not speaking about the many white areas where you hardly see a black face. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Of course, ‘white’ is a majority ethnic group in the UK so there will be more areas where you only see white faces. But, if you’re only willing to comment on the one and not the other then it is a sign of partiality. And it makes people question your motivations for being so partial.

Beauty

I don’t aspire to a ‘colourblind’ society. There’s so much beauty to behold at the intersection of skin colour and culture. We can all be enriched by the diversity of cuisine, literature, art and music. We should neither be colour blind or colour focused.

As someone famous once said, none of us should be judged by the colour of our skin, only by the content of our character. We are all made in the image God – none better, none worse, none higher, none lower.

Investment

Diversity is a strength – but there also has to be functional homogeneity upon which this diversity rests.

But as I travel around the UK, it is in the obviously non-white areas which appear to be the least invested in. These communities appear not to be treated the same as other areas where white faces are prominent in regards to civic governance, order and issues of accountability.

I see sprawling shop fronts take over pavements and even parts of roads, vehicles are double parked on roads for long stretches, with not a traffic warden or police in sight. We cannot afford a country with such differentiated rules for governance. It breeds ill-will.

Neighbourliness

Whatever the ethnic, or colour, or cultural makeup of areas in this country there should be a homogeneity in terms of the rule of law and good neighbourliness. These are the community traits and texture that should distinguish Britain.

So I believe that Mr Jenrick’s comments should not just be shouted down but rather be a prompt for a civil discourse about what makes a better society.

What I want to say to Mr Jenrick is this: in our multi-ethnic, multicultural and multifaith country don’t judge a book by its cover. There is plenty of stuff to attend to and much work for us all to do to build our communities and be good neighbours – but all British people belong here equally whatever the colour of our skin.

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Rev’d Dr Joe Aldred is a Christian leader and author of several books. His latest is Flourishing in Babylon: Black British Agency and Self Determination