Human rights champion to lecture in York

The Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, is to deliver the final lecture in the University of York's series commemorating the abolition of the slave trade.

Mr Phillips, who was awarded the OBE in 1999, will speak on 'Abolition of the slave trade: atoning for the past, providing for the future', in his lecture at 6.30pm on 4 December in Tempest Anderson Hall, Museum Gardens, York.

It will be the culmination of a series of events hosted by the University of York to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Events since February have included a major conference and a summer school for adult learners.

The lecture series concluded by Mr Phillips has also seen talks by the Bishop of Derby, Dr Alastair Redfern, Aidan McQuade, the Director of Anti-Slavery International, and Clare Short MP.

Professor Miles Taylor, of the Department of History at York, who helped to organise the bicentenary programme, said:

"Our lecture series so far has been enormously successful, with so many distinguished scholars and speakers choosing to visit us. Trevor Phillips is a challenging and engaging speaker, and his talk will be a fitting culmination to the year's programme."

ENDS

• Trevor Phillips OBE is a former Chair of the London Assembly, having started his career in the broadcast media. In 2003 he was announced as Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, and in 2006 became the first Chair of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights, responsible for monitoring and campaigning for equality on grounds of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status.
• Admission to the lecture, which starts at 6.30pm, is £4 on the door, free to University of York members.
• The Department of History at the University of York combines exciting and original research with the best traditions of stimulating and innovative teaching. Widely accepted as one of the foremost centres of historical research and practice in the UK, the Department numbers some thirty professional academic staff and approximately 800 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department is rated 'Excellent' in teaching and received a '5A' rating in the last Research Assessment Exercise.