Dark chapter of history in spotlight at Priory
To coincide with Black History Month in October a powerful new video exploring a dark chapter in the history of Lancaster Priory was released.
In the video, now available to schools and also parishes to show all year-round as part of their own education projects, the Vicar of Lancaster, Rev. Leah Vasey-Saunders, discusses Lancaster Priory’s relationship with the transatlantic slave trade; specifically how the Priory and the city are coming to terms with a difficult history as part of the city’s ‘Facing the Past’ project.
Speaking in the video to Liz Agbettoh, the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) School Effectiveness Officer, Rev. Leah outlines the story of the journey the Priory embarked on in recent years to understand and acknowledge its past and the ways in which this journey has manifested itself, such as educational initiatives with adults and children and working alongside partners in the city in creating the recent ‘Facing the Past’ festival.
For the full story click here and you can listen to a live interview, arranged following the release of the video, with Rev. Leah and Liz on BBC Radio Lancashire next Thursday, November 9, at 2.30pm.
The new video was a collaborative project between the DBE (digital resources); Diocesan Board of Finance (communications) and working with Rev. Leah and the Priory.
The Black History Month page on our Diocesan website has been well-received since it went live, with great feedback. As part of our ongoing commitment to racial justice in the context of the ‘From Lament to Action’ initiative, the title of the page has now been changed to reflect a year-round approach; with relevant resources our parishes and schools can access at any time.