Racial Justice and Inclusion

Wells Cathedral is committed to becoming a truly welcoming and inclusive spiritual space for all people. We celebrate the richness of different cultures, traditions, and experiences, and we seek to reflect this diversity within our worshipping communities.

Our vision is to create spaces where everyone feels valued and fully part of the life of the Church. We are committed to seeking social justice and amplifying voices that are often less heard. By embracing a wide variety of perspectives, we aim to build a future that is vibrant, united, and rooted in the love of Christ.

Racial Justice Sunday

Sunday 8 February 2026

This February there was a special service of the Cathedral Eucharist to mark Racial Justice Sunday, with guest preacher The Reverend Canon Sonia Barron, former Co-chair of the Church of England’s Anti-Racism Taskforce and member of the Archbishops Commission for Racial Justice. The notes from the sermon can be downloaded here.

This service forms part of the Resistance, Racial Justice and Reconciliation exhibition and series of events.

A Celebration of Demonstration exhibition

Tuesday 3 February to Sunday 1 March 2026

A Celebration of Demonstration is a photography exhibition exploring Black Lives Matter protests in London and Somerset that took place during the covid-19 pandemic. The exhibition is brought to us by Wayne Campbell, a London-based visual activist, award-winning designer, filmmaker, and critically acclaimed photographer. The exhibition also features work by renowned Somerset based photographers Jason Bryant and Len Copland.

Racial injustice, resistance and finding ways to repair

Monday 2 February 2026

Richard Reddie, Director of Justice and Inclusion for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland joined us to explore racial injustice, resistance and finding ways to repair. You can find Richard’s talk here.

Photo: The Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich, The Venerable Dr Chigor Chike, The Dean of Wells, The Very Reverend Toby Wright and Wells Cathedral Racial Justice Group member, The Reverend Canon Narinder Tegally.

Who we choose to remember

14 December 2025

We were delighted to welcome the Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich, The Venerable Dr Chigor Chike to preach at Evensong on Sunday 14 December 2025. He spoke about ‘Who we choose to remember’ and why it is important to shine a light on lesser-known perspectives and narratives.

Photo from left to right: Janet Montgomery, High Sheriff for Somerset, Eddy Smythe, son of John Smythe QC, OBE, MBE, Paula Ogun Hector, artist and curator of Tapestry of Black Britons, Susann Savidge, Chair of African Caribbean Network, Edward (Ted) James Allen, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Jessica Witchell, Wells Cathedral Learning Manager.

Tapestry of Black Britons and Remembrance at Wells Cathedral

November 2025

The Tapestry of Black Britons exhibition and events formed part of a suite of activities in marking the 80th Anniversary since the end of WWII.

On Tuesday 4 November, there was a special opportunity to preview the exhibition and join in conversation with Paula Ogun Hector, the artist and curator of Tapestry of Black Britons and Susann Savidge, the Chair of Somerset African Caribbean Network. Special guest Eddy Smythe gave a presentation ‘The Life of flying Officer John Smythe, QC, OBE, MBE’ about his father who features in the tapestry.

Eddy said that the Tapestry Of Black Briton is a significant historical piece created by Paula Ogun Hector. It is an honour to have my father included in it and it was a pleasure to share his incredible story at the exhibition in Wells Cathedral on 4 November.

Photo: Paula Ogun Hector with Eddy Smythe

Photo left to right: Ras Benji, Operations Manager of Fairfield House, Bishop Michael Beasley, Professor Shawn-Naphtali Sobers, Visual Anthropology UWE and Paula Ogun Hector, the artist and curator of Tapestry of Black Britons.

Emperor Haile Selassie I in Bath and Wells: His journey, His faith

Wednesday 12 November 2025

Visual anthropologist Professor Shawn-Naphtali Sobers focused on Emperor’s faith to illustrate the impact of the Orthodox Ethiopian Church within Christianity. Ras Benji is the Operations Manager of Fairfield House and gave an animated presentation of the Emperor’s life in exile in Bath during WWII. He presented Bishop Michael with a framed Wells Journal article, that provides an account of the Emperor’s visit to Wells Cathedral in 1938. Our thanks go to Fairfield House for such a wonderful gift.

Below is the link to the video recording of the event.