The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Rev John Sentamu, has become the Church of England's first black archbishop

BBC News:

The Ugandan-born cleric takes over as Archbishop of York from Dr David Hope who quit in February to become a parish priest in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

Bishop Sentamu said his appointment to the second-highest post in the Church of England was "an exciting prospect".

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams welcomed the news and praised the bishop's efforts to combat racism.

Bishop Sentamu worked on inquiries into the 1993 racist killing of Stephen Lawrence and the stabbing of Nigerian schoolboy Damilola Taylor in 2000.

Dr Williams said: "He is someone who has always combined a passion for sharing the gospel with a keen sense of the problems and challenges of our society, particularly where racism is concerned.

Profile: Rt Rev John Sentamu

John Sentamu

Ugandan-Born Cleric Named U.K. Archbishop

John Sentamu to be Britain's first black Archbishop