Books 13 NEWThis Round-Up keeps you updated on works reflecting the imagination and creativity, and the problems and potential, of Black writers, artists, philosophers and activists, entrepreneurs, media leaders and politicians. Power of the Word Britain is moving closer to a defining moment of change in political leadership and military strategy. As Tony Blair departs in 2007 and plans to exit from Iraq are taking shape, two new books alert us to unresolved race and religious issues. They are fascinating tales of grace under pressure and will hold your interest well into the New Year.
These fascinating books help us understand evolving Black histories and showcase the vitality and determination of people to chart their own future development. A Mother's Lament Doreen Lawrence (2006), And Still I Rise: Seeking Justice for Stephen. London: Faber and Faber ISBN 0-571-22754-6
And Still I Rise is an inspirational book by an extraordinary Black British woman of our time, Doreen Lawrence. Driven by the loss of her murdered son Stephen, her acts of courage began turning the wheels of British justice a little faster. She writes of the terrible pall of misery that engulfed her when her son Stephen was struck down on the streets of south-east London in 1993. Moments of despair and withdrawal strained her marriage to fellow-Jamaican, Neville. But she recovered, stronger, and their pursuit of justice identified a national scandal. The Metropolitan Police had bungled the crime investigation, were 'institutionally racist', according to an official enquiry, and Stephen's killers were still at large. Angered by these findings, Mrs Lawrence declared 'The police investigators acted like white masters during slavery'. She told journalists at a news conference: 'What I see is that Black people are still dying on the streets and in the back of police vans'. Scores of Black parents grieving for children lost in racially motivated crimes could understand her feelings: 'Justice has been denied us for one reason only: we and our dead son were Black'. Stephen's killers remain unpunished to this day, but Doreen and Neville have gained a measure of relief. Their steadfast campaigning led to a government report calling for police reforms and action against racism and discrimination. Their persistence had helped transform the race relations legal landscape in Britain. And Still I Rise is a loving tribute. She says: 'The shock of Stephen Lawrences death taught me the importance of life'. This traumatic lesson led her and husband, Neville, to launch the Stephen Lawrence Trust, a charity to encourage disadvantaged young people in the arts and architecture their son loved. Today, after years of community services, the Lawrence' have received national honours; she advises government agencies on race relations and is on the board of Liberty, the human rights organisation. She has pledged to help young Black writers to explore the Black British experience. She takes comfort from the fact 'that Stephen's name is synonymous with positive change, and is linked everywhere with improving race relations'. Quiet, soft-spoken and diplomatic she is firm in her belief that enough people will have the courage and dedication to make Britain better. And Still I Rise, titled after the Maya Angelou's inspiring poem, demands to be read. It is a hymn to the righteous that suffer and sacrifice, are struck down and rise again, to fight for just causes. A Muslim's Tale
Fresh from reporting the Muslim world for western audiences and returning to live as a Muslim in Britain, Oxford educated, BBC journalist Rageh Omaar was not prepared for what he found. Muslim communities were under siege. This palpable fact did not escape the astute war reporter and broadcaster with an impeccable British accent. It was the post-9/11 era, a time of fear of further attacks by Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network. Politicians blamed Muslims for harbouring terrorists and "suicide bombers" allegedly involved in the deadly London bombings of 7 July 2006. It was also a time when the suspension of Habeas corpus and civil rights were seen 'as necessary evils to prevent the greater evil of terror on the streets'. Headline stories painted Muslims as 'crazed fanatics and fundamentalist terrorists'. Threats to Muslims grew in intensity. 'How dare they seek to preserve their community, cultures and traditions' was the popular cry. The pressure to integrate or be rooted out of mainstream society caused further religious, racial, and social tension. Omaar, of Somali origins himself, helps us understand what it means to be young, male, Black and Muslim in Britain. The sharp horns of a dilemma are evident in his Prologue. Why is integration so often about denying or even abandoning half of ourselves,' he asks. Why must I have to choose between my Muslim identity and my loyalty to the British nation? Can the two identities co-exist? Omaar explores how difficult it is to find answers to these dilemmas in his closing chapters 'Hidden Lives' and Epilogue. Youth in the deprived districts of Somali population - in London, Manchester, Sheffield and Cardiff - are especially aggrieved. They are enraged by what they see as 'unremitting condemnation of them and the one thing that gives them identity: Islam'. There are few local activities - community clubs, voter registration campaigns and small business enterprises - that can direct their interests outward to the wider society. In conclusion, Omaar believes media leaders and policy makers must purge their stereotypes and prejudices. He calls upon educated Muslims to show a common front and speak up for tolerance in politics and public affairs. Upon reflection, the books of Lawrence and Omaar are notable contributions to the social literature of our troubled times. Ultimately, government leaders must act to build a society where all faiths and races are treated with respect and all believers are allowed to practice their faith. If not, Britain's famed record of tolerance will appear to be confined to only the white, Christian and secular majority.
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