A campaign has emerged around the Queen Mother Moore Saturday School (QMMS) in Clapham and its distinguished founder Rev Hewie Andrew. A Methodist Minister and activist of 50 years standing, Baba Hewie founded the school at Clapham Methodist Church in 1981 both in response to the (then) decades old crisis of Afrikan underachievement in schools and the burgeoning political consciousness in wake of increasing state repression. As well serving generations of children from the congregation, along with Afruika Bantu Saturday School and Nubia African Community Foundation School QMMS is also a part of a network of foundation (“supplementary”) schools in the area that continue to dutifully serve the wider community as well.However, since early September new Superintendent Minister Stephen Poole has embarked on a campaign, ostensibly backed by the church council to curtail QMMS’s and Baba Hewie’s use of the building in manner that has been described by some as tantamount to constructive eviction. The letters sent by Rev Poole have been described by community members as treating Baba Hewie with “utter contempt,” as well as being “confrontational, disrespectful, dismissive and lacking in any sense of justice.” The measures include: restricted access to rooms, threats to throw out school resources built up over decades, the imposition of rents seen as prohibitive and fitting new locks denying access school resource (since removed after protests) and even cancellation of some ministerial duties. There have also been allegations of church council.members gaining unauthorised access to the school and taking photographs of the children raising concerns about safeguarding and data protection breaches. In addition to this
Such is Baba Hewie’s standing that there has been a groundswell of support for him and the school across the various strands of the activist, faith, political and educational communities, as the Friends of Queen Mother Moore Saturday School (FQMMS) As a result public meetings have been arranged and a programme of action and awareness-raising established. One of the early activities was for community members to engage in a silent protest at the church on 04/10/15. It also agreed that a statement on behalf of the campaign be read out one of the church flock during notices at the service. Church members vociferously protested this and, in the absence of decisive leadership from the presiding minister the service became chaotic but not out of hand, yet someone, believed to be a senior church council member, called the police. However, once clam was restored the statement was read out.
In the aftermath the church referred to the community attendees as a “mob” and blamed them for “disgracefully” disrupting the service and urged members “not to take any notice of comments being made outside the church,” while FQMMS assert that the congregation disrupted their own service adding that the calling of the police was as sinister as it was cynical.
FQMMS returned to Clapham Methodist Church on 11/10/15. The church congregation issued a statement in response to the events of 05/10/15 that broadly refuted the contentions of the FQMMS statement read out on that day, declaring total support Rev Poole. An FQMMS spokesperson mused that “much of the church congregation do not appear to have a grasp of the facts.”
A large area of divergence between the congregation and FQMMS is around the racial element that the former regard as inconsequential, revolving around a breach of license due to unpaid fees, while the latter see as central, being woven into an insidious colonial narrative that seeks ostracize Baba Hewie and QMMS for decades of dedication to racial justice. FQMMS have vowed to return to Clapham Methodist Church every Sunday until the matter is resolved. The next meeting of FQMMS is at 7pm on Tuesday 13/10/15 at 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, 198 Railton Road SE24 OJT.
So we ask the question,
Is the church trying to axe a vital community resource?
- Have you ever attended QMMS or Clapham Methodist Church?
- Is this a matter for the church itself to resolve?
- Has the church council really been “confrontational, disrespectful and dismissive”? to QMMS
- Is there an underlying narrative of an overwhelmingly Afrikan church with a white minister (Poole) going against an Afrikan foundation school headed by an Afrikan minister and veteran activist for social justice?
Our special guests are:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK. A veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwindnewspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence.
Baba Clarence Thompson MBE: is a social scientist, poet, teacher and Chairman of the West Indian Standing Conference. He is also a retired Human Resources Manager and businessman with extensive knowledge and experience of the corporate, business and community sectors. He was awarded an MBE in 1965 for his advocacy for Equal Opportunities and work to implement Race Relations legislation in UK. Baba Clarence is the Chair of the QMMS Committee.
Mama Annette Jeffers: is a long standing Methodist who first attended Clapham Methodist Church 55 years ago. Mama Annette read out the statement on behalf of FQMMS at the church on 04/10/15
Bro. Kwesi Shaddai: is a social entrepreneur and community activist and with various community foundation schools. He is a member of mediadiversified.org
Professor Gus John: has been a committed educationalist and learning facilitator since 1965. He is a Director of Gus John Consultancy Limited, the former Director of Education and Leisure Services for the London Borough of Hackney, Chair of the Communities Empowerment Network and Interim Chair of its campaigning arm, Parents and Students Empowerment. Prof Gus has worked with and/or advised a vast range of organisations and agencies including: the African Union, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, former British Home Secretary, Jack Straw, former Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith and The Law Society.
AFRIKA SPEAKS with ALKEBU-LAN on GALAXY RADIO!
Hear weekly discussions and lively debate on all issues affecting the Afrikan community, at home and abroad. We talk it straight and make it plain!
Hosted by Sis Kai Ouagadou-Mbandaka andBro. Omowale Kwaw
CLICK HERE to view latest AFRIKA SPEAKSShow Spec. Leave a comment and contribute to the discussion.
Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan
Galaxy Radio | 102.5fm | www.galaxyafiwe.com (To listen live)
MONDAY 8pm-10pm
4-6 pm Eastern Caribbean Time
12-2 pm Pacific Standard Time
1-3 pm Mountain Standard Time
2-4 pm Central Standard Time
3-4 pm Eastern Standard Time