It may seem an odd choice. The significance is that Chilembwe has his hat on in the presence of a white man. The statue is based on a 1914 photograph of both men standing outside of Chilembwe's new church at a time when it was against the law for a black not to remove his hat standing next to a white man.
Chilembwe is now celebrated in Malawi every January 15th as a true patriot and nationalist.
The statue shows Chilembwe now much bigger than Chorley. An artistic statement declaring just how much things have changed since 1914.
John Chilembwe set up schools in Malawi as well as building the brick church we see him standing outside of in the photograph. He felt constantly oppressed by British imperialism and was particularly horrified at the way the authorities treated starving refugees from Mozambique.
In the end Chilembwe headed up a revolt against the British in which he lost his life.
The forthcoming statue in Trafalgar square prompts many important and relevant questions.
It also gives us an additional commentary on an incident that happened decades later in South Africa as told by Desmond Tutu. He says he only joined the Anglican Church because one day the Parish Priest in Soweto, Trevor Huddleston, whilst walking through the township passed Tutu and his mother and raised his hat in respectful greeting to Mrs Tutu. Desmond was amazed at the honour his mother was being shown by a white man.
That incident becomes even more profound when read in the context of John Chilembwe’s experience.
Who would have thought that either keeping your hat on, or taking it off, could have had such significance in African history? Outward actions that contained such profound meaning and value.
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