Finally watched Amazing Grace today, didn’t get a chance when it was at the cinema. It reminded me of my childhood.
Growing up in Yorkshire, learning at a young age about “local men done good” like Wilberforce (Hull was part of Yorkshire when he was an MP), and Sir Titus Salt, fed my interests in politics and in the wide world outside of my limited experience. The showed me that people can be unknown to you personally, but still valued; that the value placed on an individual is regardless of the work they can do or the colour of their skin; that one person can make a difference, can even change the world, by raising a voice or by living in a particular way. Salt, as many of my fellow students pointed out in later years, probably inherited some of his wealth from previous generations’ involvement in the slave trade. But he used that wealth to build and serve a community, paying his mill-workers an annually adjusted minimum wage, built a school and provided free education to all children of his workers to the age of 12. Health-care was provided by means of a purpose built almshouse, and a church was built to service the faith needs of the 850 homes he built. A novelty in Yorkshire, each of those houses had its own loo! The only things lacking in the village of Saltaire, until about 10 years ago, were a Pub and a Bookmaker. The pub is now there, aptly named “Don’t tell Titus”
The thing both of these men had in common, apart from being Yorkshiremen, was that they each lived what they believed, and despite antagonism, conflict and opposition, continued to do so until the day they each died. Politicians, activists, men of faith. Lives of faith and action, faith in action. Lives that still make a difference, and challenge and change perceptions. One is famous worldwide, the other only locally. But does that matter? The effects of both are still felt, at least by this Yorkshire educated lass.
Sadly, slavery still remains, even though outlawed. Injustice in the workplace, poor wages and poor health are still rife in many of our industrial (or post industrial) towns and cities. The work is not done. May God give this generation and future ones the courage and the voice to continue the work of such men as these.
Oh yeah - the movie’s not bad either.
