Poem race row splits council

6:03pm Wednesday 11th July 2007

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A poem believed to have written by a schoolgirl is at the centre of a race row at Didcot Town Council.

Former council leader Margaret Davies this week called for current leader John Flood to resign after the poem, Coloured, was forwarded to council members.

But Mr Flood told the Oxford Mail he had "absolutely no intention whatsoever" of stepping down. He said: "The actual email is a very famous poem. If you look at the South Bank poetry library of most requested poems, it is number nine on the list attributed to an anonymous schoolgirl from Birmingham.

"It appears on many websites, invariably as an anti-racist comment. It is used by teachers in our schools as part of the National Curriculum and it is also used by churches preparing young people for confirmation."

Mr Flood said he sent the email to other members of the Conservative group on the council as a private individual, rather than as a councillor, and it was then forwarded, not by him, by mistake to the rest of the council.

He said: "To my mind it puts a humourous slant on the way we use the colour of people's skin to judge them."

He pointed out that Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, used the poem in his address at his installation as chancellor of York St John University. He said: "If it's good enough for Dr John Sentamu, it's quite good enough for me to use it."

Mrs Davies asked at Monday's meeting if Mr Flood was aware that his actions had "impacted on Didcot Town Council's ability to be seen to carry out its statutory duties to promote equality, equity and good relations between persons of different racial groups".

She said the email contained material which she found "racist, offensive and abhorrent".

After the meeting, she said: "I thought his response missed the point, because he did not respond to the beginning of my question which deals with the statutory duty which the council has.

"I really do feel he should resign because he has a duty to get the community to bond together."

THE CONTROVERSIAL POEM: Me coloured?

"When I born, I black, when I grow up, I black, When I go in sun, I black, when I scared, I black, When I sick, I black, and when I die, I still black...

And you white fellow, When you born, you pink, when you grow up, you white, When you go in sun, you red, When you cold, you blue, When you scared, you yellow, when you sick, you green, And when you die, you grey...

And you call me coloured? ..."

The poem is attributed to an anonymous pupil of King Edward VI School, Birmingham, and is found in The Children's Book of Poems, Prayers and Meditations, published by Element Books, in 1989.