Writing to the Guardian, Sonita Alleyne, the ruler of Jesus College, defended the decision to fight the case and criticized the “outdated” ecclesiastical process that ended in defeat for the college. The monument in question was the subject of a three-day consistent court in February, where the college had to seek permission from the Ely diocese to remove the plaque from the chapel wall, which barred community members from worshiping. and take it elsewhere to college. Allen, who is the first black teacher at an Oxbridge college, said that after the survey revealed the extent of Tobias Rustat’s 30-year involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, the vast majority of fellows voted in favor of seeking permission to relocate. “That was clear,” Alleyne writes. “Ethically, Rust’s activities helped finance slave factories along the West African coast. It enabled ships to transport tens of thousands of enslaved women, children and men to the Middle Pass. “And it led to these people working to the death in the Caribbean and America.” Last month, however, the court ruled that opposition to the monument was based on “a false narrative” about the size of Rustat’s financial rewards from slavery and ordered that the monument remain in the chapel. Jesus College has since decided not to appeal, but has called on the Church of England to find a better way to deal with issues of racial injustice and disputed heritage. “There was no issue, we had to fight this case,” Allen said. “In this way, the college would have spent about .000 120,000 on an outdated process that lawyers had no choice but to pursue, which is ill-designed to address sensitive issues of racial justice and disputed heritage. The church must develop something better than this. “ Throughout the process, Alleyne said, she felt that the Rust monument was more important than the 150,000 Africans she helped transport to slavery. “Having looked at the crisis, I think this process is incapable of explaining the experience of people of color in Britain today.” He compared Rust’s controversy to opposition to admitting students to university. “Just two generations ago, female students were admitted for the first time,” he said. “Opponents cited 483 years of access only to men, among other strong criticisms. Their arguments proved unfounded. The buildings were redefined and new arrangements and traditions were created. As a result, college is fairer and more academically exciting today. “ He added: “I’m proud to be in charge of an institution like Jesus College. The calm discussion and discussion that the colleagues started in May 2019 did not avoid the difficult issues or this course of action. It is part of our path to justice. “It’s important for Jesus College and it’s important for the Church of England.” Many senior members of the Church of England, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, have expressed support for Allen and the relocation of the monument.
