The Racial Justice Sunday Coat of Many Colours playlist is brought to you by Churches Together in England (CTE), Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), and SongShare. Released on Racial Justice Sunday’s 30th anniversary, the playlist is a celebration of unity, faith, and the power of music to inspire change. By embracing these songs, churches across the country can reflect the vibrant diversity of their congregations while fostering greater unity through worship.
The innovative SongShare platform empowers Black Christian songwriters by providing a centralised space to register and share their work. Encouraged during discussions with CTE’s Racial Justice Working Group, the initiative tackles the marginalisation of Black songwriters who, despite their significant contributions, have benefited relatively little from established music systems. The system’s search functionality—by author, theme, or keyword—removes reasons for not discovering or using these resources.
“The SongShare system is well overdue: addressing injustice while opening doors to equity and opportunity for Black music creators – securing a rich legacy as part of the wider Christian family,” said CTE Trustee and Joint Chair, CTE Racial Justice Working Group, Rev Dr Lurliene Miller.
“I’m really excited about SongShare! Let’s all engage in building this resource showcasing some great voices from diverse communities,” said General Secretary, Churches Together in England Bishop Mike Royal.
“Music transcends boundaries, giving voice to shared experiences and the opportunity to drive transformative action for racial justice,” said CTE Principal Officer for Pentecostal, Charismatic and Multicultural Relations Minister Shermara Fletcher-Hoyte.
Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI), the key agency representing copyright royalty collections for churches, is encouraging the initiative. CCLI UK Service Centre Manager Jenny Coomber said “CCLI would love to see more songs by Caribbean and African writers spread throughout the churches in the UK and beyond.”
Introducing the playlist
Drawing on the biblical story of Joseph’s “coat of many colours,” the initiative celebrates the beauty and importance of diversity in worship. The playlist includes the works of not only well-known worship leaders and songwriters like Noel Robinson, Muyiwa, Sarah Teibo and Jake Isaac, but also lesser-known artists.
Listen to the Coat of Many Colours playlist on Spotify (available from Sunday 9 February.)
Download and share a poster for the Coat of Many Colours playlist on Spotify (pdf).
Download the resources for the 30th Anniversary of Racial Justice Sunday.