: Ideas, Themes, Proposals

2007 bicentenary of the British parliament’s abolition of the slave trade

Community debate in St Paul’s, Bristol - 4th December 2005
Summary of issues raised and suggestions for commemorations

This debate was attended by approximately 30 – 40 people. Participants were adults mainly from the different community organisations, e.g. St Pauls Youth Promotion, Kuumba, Synergy, the Black Development Agency, and the Malcolm X Elders, Rastafarian elders; also some interested individual residents.

EDUCATION & RESEARCH
General/National:
• Stronger emphasis in the National Curriculum on the history and legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in Britain. Involve African Caribbean academics and representatives to identify the realities of the past – not sanitised versions.
• Ensure teachers are properly trained in, feel confident about, and are required to teach the history and legacy of the slave trade.
• Ensure availability of well-informed teaching materials reflecting the African Caribbean perspective.
• Greater integration of African Caribbean culture and achievements across the schools curriculum subjects, e.g. scientists, authors, etc.
• Fund community-led education, empowering African Caribbeans to learn about their past history – including what came before slavery.
• Commission some African Caribbean writers to re-write the history books.
Local:
• Use/fund programmes at the Malcolm X Centre, Kuumba and other African Caribbean community self-learning organisations in Bristol.
• Ensure that all schools in Bristol teach about the local connections with and visible legacies of the slave trade – not just the national/general involvement.
• Fund a Chair and scholarships at Bristol University for African History.

HEROES, MONUMENTS AND GESTURES
General/National:
• Establish a national annual remembrance day, starting from 2007, to commemorate the victims of the slave trade, and those who suffered and struggled to achieve its end [perhaps also include contemporary relevance].
• Set up a voluntary repatriation scheme, fully funded by reparations, to help those who want to re-settle in the Caribbean or Africa.
• Create a national monument to commemorate the victims – based in Bristol.
• Identify and use positive role models in the African Caribbean community today to instil a sense of pride amongst the youth – e.g. involve celebrities
Local:
• Have sculptures/figures of African heroes and heroines placed prominently around Bristol and in its centre.
• Name streets after prominent African and African Caribbean people, past and present.
• Ensure that the new Broadmead development is not called Merchants’ Quarter – understand that ‘merchant’ has a specific connotation in Bristol.
• Highlight/ publicly recognise the contribution that African people have made to the assets and prosperity of Bristol and Bristolians today.

ARTS & MEDIA
General/National:
• Create a nationally co-ordinated website for 2007 for information (and dialogue between different communities)
• Commission films that tell the story of Britain’s involvement in the slave trade
• Drama /plays – theatre in education
• Give out long-term community radio licences
Local:
• Provide financial support for a new building/centre for Kuumba (arts and education organisation).
• Radio licences for Passion FM and some of the pirate community radio stations.
• Fund community groups to produce and present plays, music, dance, etc. in response to 2007 and contemporary issues.

LINKS & NETWORKS
General/National:
• Create a national committee with representatives from the African Caribbean community to co-ordinate responses to 2007 and with access to and influence on financial and political structures.
• Create projects (e.g.plays/exhibitions) that tour to different cities.
• Create e-forums for young people to communicate about 2007 and other issues for 2007 and beyond (national/international)
• Use live radio link-ups for discussions between young people in different communities (local/national/international)
Local:
• The community needs to set up their own Committee to co-ordinate further dialogue/ events/ activities and take forward ideas locally.
• Young people from Bristol, Liverpool and Hull could communicate through web and radio links – needs some co-ordination.
• Exchange programmes for young people to visit Liverpool and Hull, and reciprocate.