Hearing that the statue of prolific slave trader Edward Colston had been pulled down in Bristol, it reminded me that good things do indeed come to those who wait – but boy, have we waited.
Over the years, attempts at achieving a more appropriate commemoration of Colston’s contribution to Bristol were paid lip service but not much more.
What was requested by Black historians, community supporters and the general public – and later demanded by them – was a complete statement about the man. Not a puff piece on what Colston did with his vast wealth in a show of philanthropy, but an acknowledgement of how he acquired that wealth – and what he was prepared to do to get it.
But those requests were never granted.
And here lies the rub. As they say in the Caribbean: “If you can’t hear, you will feel.” By pulling down Colston’s statue, Black people and their allies are now saying talks on decolonising our society have been going on for too long, with not enough action. The jaw-jaw hasn’t brought significant or lasting change so we have had to resort to action. You will now feel our frustration. Those in positions of power and influence will have to sit up and take notice. They will have to hear the answer through our actions, when they ask: “What should we do now?”, or “What do you need?”.
For too long, this government, and many before them, have sat on the fence on the issue of anti-Blackness in our society. They know what they have done to prevent Black people getting into the boardrooms – they have the evidence. They know what policies and strategies they have put in place that make Black people wary of the police, that put our Black youth in prisons, instead of places of learning and professions.
Perhaps these protests will spark radical change for future generations who are coming of age during these historic demands for equal civil rights. But why should we have to wait for the next generation to become the influencers and the policymakers of tomorrow?
“It’s time this government recognises the contributions of Black people to society by making sure our historic monuments tell the complete story of our shared history.”
Present incumbents in the highest positions of authority in our society must learn from the folly of their predecessors. Now is the time to pause and reflect on the regrettable policies that allowed emancipation but left Black people without the resources to feed themselves and their kith and kin once they were no longer working on the plantations. Now is the time to reflect on the changes of policy that happened following emancipation that took away trade with the Caribbean and left these islands unable to support themselves. Now is the time to understand how that contributed to the Windrush scandal – why when that great invitation was issued asking Caribbeans to come and help rebuild Britain after the Second World War, there was a resounding “yes” because it was work after all, and an opportunity to improve the quality of their lives and that of their families. And still the belief persists Black people are work-shy.
Government, police and big business must take these protests as a message: “You’ve abdicated your responsibility to Black citizens for too long, and we will no longer stay silent.”
Black people have been in the UK for 70-plus years now and the same issues crop up again and again – there is little recognition of the contributions of Caribbeans to the UK, their relegation to sub-standard housing, and poor neighbourhood infrastructure, limited school and education opportunities affected by their postcode, and a lack of access to jobs with real prospects and pay. None of these things is a secret. This government has acknowledged BAME communities are more likely to die from Covid-19. Now is the time for politicians to really understand why.
We are British, we have a history connected with the white British, which, though fractious at the moment, could be restored to a glorious shared future. My dream would be to eradicate the need for protests to get the recognition the Black community so sorely deserves.
Imagine a society where our community wouldn’t need to feel angst about our young people being “picked up” under the ever-evolving SUS laws, and the country’s mixed race and dual heritage members wouldn’t feel they needed to take sides, but could embrace both their heritages.
Britain is facing its Rosa Parks moment and Black people are making it clear they won’t sit at the back of the bus. It’s time this government recognises the contributions of Black people to society. They can do that by taking an active role in decolonising our arts and culture, and making sure our historic monuments tell the complete story of our shared history.
Now that the loan has been repaid that enabled Britain to reimburse white plantation owners as part of the emancipation process, the country’s key decision makers should start giving Black people what wasn’t given on emancipation – respect, justice, and freedom to thrive.
And perhaps they should start by asking themselves: “If public vandalism to protest about society’s ills is a bad thing, why isn’t murder of someone deprived of his inalienable right ‘innocent until proven guilty’.”
Catherine Ross is Founder and Director of the National Caribbean Heritage Museum.