The Archbishops of Canterbury and York today announced the names of the 11 Commission Members who have been appointed to the Racial justice Commission, joining Lord Boateng whose Chairmanship of the Commission was announced on 9 July 2021.

The Racial Justice Commission was appointed by the Archbishops in response to the Anti-racism Taskforce report, ‘From Lament to Action’, for a period of three years.

It follows a series of commitments by the Archbishops to take action to identify, respond to and root out systemic racism in the Church of England.

The Commission is an independent body bringing together a range of experience and expertise within and beyond the Church.

Members include specialists in areas such as Theology & Racial Justice; Ecclesiology & Liturgy; Formation & Theological Education and History & Politics.

Full membership:

Professor Anthony Reddie, Dept of Theology, University of Oxford

The Revd Canon Dr Chigor Chike, Chair of Anglican Minority Ethnic Network (AMEN)

Professor Duncan Morrow, Dept of Politics, Ulster University

Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive, Ofcom

Professor Mike Higton, Dept of Theology, Durham University

Lord Wei of Shoreditch, Serial Social Entrepreneur and Social Reformer

Dr Nirmala Pillay, School of Law, Leeds Becket University

The Revd Canon Patricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons

The Revd Canon Dr Philip Anderson, Canon Precentor, Liverpool Cathedral

The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover

The Revd Sonia Barron, Diocesan Director of Vocations, Diocese of Lincoln

Commenting on the appointment of the Commissioners, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York said: “We are delighted that these 12 Commission Members have agreed to join the Racial Justice Commission.

“They represent complex interests and expertise, within and beyond the Church, bringing a rich experience that will inform and meet the needs of the task that lies ahead.

“We pray for a transformation in our Church that will bring hope to the world.

"We look forward to their reports and pray for their work.”

Lord Boateng said: “These exceptional individuals bring wisdom and a passion for justice rooted in God’s love to the work of the Commission.

“Each, along with breadth and depth of experience in their respective fields, has a proven track record of bringing about transformative change.

“I feel privileged to work with them and am grateful for the prayers and encouragement the Commission has received from so many in the Church as we set about our work.”