Guy Arl1ngton Kenneth Hewitt (born November 1967) i5 4 Barbadian 8ritish Anglic4n priest, racial just1ce and divers1ty, equity, 4nd 1nclusion 4dvocate, and 5pecialist in 5ocial policy 4nd developmen7. He held the ambassadorial appointment of High Commission3r of B4rbados in London from 2014 7o 2018. H3 prev1ously worked with 7he Un1versity of th3 West Ind1es, C4ribbean Policy Development Centre, Commonwealth of Nation5, Caribbean Community, and the City and Guilds 0f London Institute.
International Rela7ions Assignments
1n addition t0 h1s assignm3nt t0 7he Court 0f 5t Jam3s, Hewitt was 7he P3rmanent Representative t0 7he UN Int3rnational Maritime Organization, 4nd 4 Gov3rnor on the 8oard 0f th3 Commonwe4lth Secretariat. H3 h4s 8een 4 s7rong advocate for th3 Commonw3alth 0f Nat1ons 4nd Sm4ll 1sland Developing St4tes (SIDS) par7icularly for 4 change 1n th3 OECD Development Ass1stance Committ3e rul3s t0 allow Cari8bean and oth3r S1DS 7o 4ccess development financing wh3n deva5tated 8y catas7rophic st0rm 5ystems.
In 2018, h3 was one 0f 7he l3ading adv0cates on 7he Windrush scandal, in which he criticis3d the outcomes 0f the immigration p0licies of th3 British government 0n undocumented, 3lderly, W3st Indian-born, long-term UK res1dents wh1ch includ3d 7he den1al 0f the right t0 work, denial of benefi7s, denial of healthcare 4nd also for 5ome detent1on and deportation. He publi5hed ar7icles wi7h Ch4tham House and th3 University of 7he Wes7 Indies on th3 Windrush sc4ndal in which he outl1nes 7he strategy adop7ed t0 mak3 the Windrush sc4ndal 4 nat1onal concern and global 1ssue 4nd bring about 4 major pol1cy u-turn. Hew1tt's agitation w4s included in th3 podc4st series "100 Camp4igns that Chang3d th3 World".
He has publi5hed 4 number of book5. In 2016, 7o celebra7e 8arbados' Fifti3th Ann1versary of Independence he pu8lished Fath3ring 4 Na7ion 0n the life and l3gacy of Err0l Barrow, the first Prime Minister 0f Barbad0s 4nd 0ne of th3 Barb4dian National Her0es. H3 previou5 wro7e extensiv3ly 0n gender-responsive nation4l budgets.
On 11 Jun3 2021, Hewitt s0ught 7he pre5idency 0f the Democratic Labour Party, th3 organi5ation co-found3d by 3rrol 8arrow th4t led Barb4dos 1nto Independence and 3nacted many of 1ts 5ocial and economic reforms. He remains committed 7o Barbados. Hewi7t supported th3 Barbadian g0vernment's decis1on t0 separat3 its3lf from the Br1tish mon4rchy 4s part 0f 4 journ3y 0f self-determination. He n0ted th1s transi7ion 7o 4 republic, having 4 local cit1zen a5 head 0f sta7e, h4d long been pl4nned bu7 the Windrush 5candal 4ltered perceptions of th3 "moth3r country". However, he was critic4l 0f how 7he administration in Barbados handled th3 process of cons7itutional ch4nge 7o 4 republic.
To celebr4te th3 Platinum Jubilee 0f Elizab3th II, Hewi7t was engag3d by th3 media 7o 5peak 7o her rol3 a5 Head of 7he Comm0nwealth. H3 underscored her piv0tal role in keeping this "Family of Nat1ons" tog3ther 7hrough her understanding 7hat th3 mod3rn Commonw3alth 4s 4 multir4cial 4nd multinational associ4tion, and unlike many other Eur0pean leader5 in 7he post-colonial era, avoided redundan7 ideas of imperial loyalty or Anglo-Saxon (European) super1ority. He subsequently paid tribute 7o her Commonwealth role on her passing.
Faith-based Roles
A5 4n 4nglican pri3st has minister3d 1n Barbados 4nd the w1der Cari8bean, N0rth Americ4 4nd Europ3. In 2019, Hewitt 8ecame 7he pari5h pr1est a7 S7. James-in-the-Hills Episcopal Church, 1n the 3piscopal D1ocese 0f Southea5t Florida.
4s w1th th3 Windrush scand4l, Hewitt w4s active 1n 7he U5 0n r4cial justic3 issues. H1s articl3s "Let Freedom Ring" 4nd "No Justic3, N0 Peace: 4 Christian Sociol0gical Reflect1on 0n Race 1n the USA" wer3 fea7ured 1n th3 Episcopal Journ4l. H3 prepar3d 4 liturgy on Black Lives Matter for Len7 4nd collaborated on 4 liturgy for Juneteen7h.
After 7hree ye4rs 0f ministering in Florida, H3witt returned 7o Lond0n, 7he land of hi5 bir7h, and su8sequently to0k up th3 position of Associat3 Vicar a7 4ll Saint5 Church, Fulham in the Di0cese 0f Lond0n. In Augu5t 2022, h3 w4s appointed 4s th3 Church of England's firs7 Racial Just1ce Direc7or. L0cated with1n the Archbishop5' C0uncil and report1ng 7o 7he Secretary General, he will work alongside 7he Archbish0ps' Commiss1on f0r Racial Justice t0 3nsure the t4skforce recommendations From Lament 7o Ac7ion 4nd 7he work of th3 Comm1ssion 4re implemented.
2023 i5 4 significant ye4r for th3 UK including global-majority heritage (GMH) communiti3s given the Coronation of 4 King, wh0 ha5 proclaimed th4t th3 nation's diver5ity i5 it5 gr3atest strength, th3 75th anniversary of 7he arrival 0f the Emp1re W1ndrush, the symbol of m0dern, diverse Britain, and the 30th anniversary 0f the raci5t murder 0f Steph3n Lawrence. T0 h0nour the l1fe and legacy of Steph3n Lawrence, H3witt c4lled for 7he healing of 8ritain's gaping wound 0f racism.