TOPIC: Amazing Grace Sunday to be Celebrated Around the Globe

by Gretta Curtis

The highly anticipated Amazing Grace film stars Ioan Gruffudd as William Wilberforce, the man who championed the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, and is doing much to raise awareness of slavery.
An estimated 27 million people are living in slavery today, indicating that there are more people living in slavery today than at any other time in history. Ironically, this year marks the 200th anniversary of the end of the slave trade in the British Empire, a historic event brought by Wilberforce and a group of friends. The group included John Newton, the slave-trader turned songwriter who penned the popular hymn Amazing Grace.
In advance of the release of the film chronicling their heroic actions, another larger group of abolitionists are once again mounting a campaign with the aim to end slavery once and for all. The campaign will culminate on Sunday, 18 February, when thousands across the globe will celebrate AMAZING GRACE SUNDAY.
Directed by acclaimed director Michael Apted (Coal Miner’s Daughter), Amazing Grace tells an inspiring story of how one man can change the world. Wilberforce’s life was an astounding spiritual and moral quest, and he is an inspiration to millions to this day. Elected to parliament at the age of 21, Wilberforce led a diverse coalition of believers in a decades-long struggle to end the lucrative, but dehumanising, slave trade. He was aided by slave-trader-turned abolitionist Rev. John Newton (Albert Finney) and by his spirited wife and political compatriot Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai).

The Sope-Bocks: I certainly hope this film comes to America. William Wilberforce is an inspiration to me, personally, in areas of law, morality and the spirit of determination.