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๐Ÿšจ UPDATE ๐Ÿšจ

Over the last month, I have done everything possible to approach this matter reasonably, professionally, and with respect. I attended a meeting, listened carefully to concerns, remained open to compromise, and engaged in good faith throughout the process in the hope that a constructive outcome could be reached. 

However, despite my willingness to engage, I have ultimately been met with resistance at every stage. ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป is now formally protecting Bevis Marks Synagogue and ๐—ฅ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ฏ๐—ถ ๐—ฆ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ผ๐—บ ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€, requesting that the synagogue be removed entirely from the route of the London: Jewish Money& TheSlaveTradeTour. I shouldn't be surprised as recently Rabbi Morris was awarded the Freedom of the City of London after 10 years at Bevis Marks Synagogue. 

At the same time, no acknowledgement has been made of the professional, financial, or emotional impact this process has had on me after years of research, planning, and public educational work. 

What disappoints me most is that I genuinely believed this process had the potential to create meaningful dialogue and bridge understanding between communities through honest historical engagement. Instead, I have been left feeling that my work, my voice, and my intentions as a Black historian and educator have not been afforded the same level of protection, understanding, or respect. 

Still, I refuse to back down. 

History must be approached in full, not selectively. Difficult conversations cannot be avoided simply because they create discomfort. The tour WILL happen, and I will continue standing for open historical inquiry, truth-telling, and the right to examine all aspects of the transatlantic slave trade and its financial networks. Please send me a DM for a payment link for the Tour and its details.

In the meantime, if you would like to express your disappointment as a community, you can contact them via the following:

Rabbi Shalom Morris: rabbimorris@bevismarks.org.uk

Bevis Marks Synagogue:
020 7626 1274

Phil Connor:
philip.Connor@cityoflondon.gov.uk

To everyone who has supported me throughout this process... thank you.

#BlackHistory
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๐Ÿšจ PSA ๐Ÿšจ 

๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ป: ๐—๐—ฒ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ต ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐—ง๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ 

This situation has now escalated beyond a single platform. The matter has reached the ๐—–๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป, and I am currently in direct communication with them. It is clear that this has developed into a wider issue, not simply because of the subject matter itself, but because I have chosen not to step back from delivering historically grounded, evidence-based education. My position remains that a full and honest understanding of history requires engagement with all aspects of the past, even when they are complex or uncomfortable. 

Eventbrite has gone from not making the event searchable, but available to now cancelled the scheduled dates and issued refunds to all ticket holders, and my appeal to retain the tour on their platform has been rejected. I sincerely apologise to those who had booked and were looking forward to attending. It is unfortunate that the concerns of a small number of individuals, albeit with significant influence, have led to the removal of an educational event that has consistently been delivered responsibly and received positively over many years. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me. Whether through purchasing tickets, sharing the work, or sending messages of encouragement, THANK YOU! The level of support from across communities and across the world has been deeply appreciated. 

That said, this is not the end. The work continues. I am engaging in further discussions to ensure the tour can proceed in any way, and I remain committed to seeing it happen. Thank you again for your continued support, and by any means necessary, the truth will be told. 

#BlackHistory #LondonHistory #SlaveTrade #JewishHistory #WalkingTour
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