JD Douglas Salutes Marcus Rashford

New Painting to thank Marcus Rashford for his Social Justice Campaign on Child Food Poverty. 

A new painting to thank Marcus Rashford for his work as a social Justice Campaigner on Child Food poverty has been on display.  The painting was commissioned by the Producer and Writer JD Douglas, who wrote the stage production Black Heroes In The Hall of Fame.

His other work includes JA Story the History of Jamaica Musical and A Chatham Conversation. 

As an Arts Administrator Douglas has worked as a Drama Officer at the Arts Council of England and as the Arts Manager of Charlton football club. 

The Writer explained that when he saw Marcus Rashford speak out for the voiceless parents and children in 2020, on the need for school meals, during the holidays, for children across England he was moved. 

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He further explained when he saw the documentary where Rashford read his open letter to Prime Minister Johnson, I got very emotional and upset. I also felt a sense of helplessness. 

Marcus Rashford had read his open letter to the Prime Minister explaining how his half of society lived and how due to no fault of their own, they would always be people no matter how hard they tried they would not be able to over come the barriers preventing them attainting a sustainable living standard. When his mother Mel spoke of having to work three jobs to put food on the table for her children, you know something was very wrong.  

Marcus Rashford Painting entitled, ‘NUMBER 10’

“Here was a young man not afraid to bring up an issue normally left as the preserve of elected Members of Parliament and other social justice-oriented organisations, but he was brave to take up the mantle.”  Douglas explained that while watching football with a friend and the issue of Marcus Rashford came up, the friend casually said Marcus Rashford should stick to football.  

“I was not angry as everyone is entitled to their opinion.  I realised that I had to do something to keep reminding everyone of what Marcis Rashford had achieved, for hundreds of thousands of young people, all over England.  That is when the idea of commissioning a painting of Marcus came to me. I contacted an artists friend called Damel Carayol whose work I had always admired.  I explained what I wanted and sent him an image of Rashford taking the knee. I thought it combined many things that needed addressing.  We met over a drink and I expressed what I felt the painting should depict. Including his Honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester.  The response has been all positive with many people asking to be a photographed with the painting. Something I never expected.”