Phantoms of the Past Project: The Countering Colston Movement
Introduction
Welcome to our project addressing the Countering Colston movement, an anti-racist, pro-equity collective located in Bristol, United Kingdom. Our group – including Omnya Mahdi, Mitchell Rudman and Andrew Valentine – engaged in an interview with Ros Martin, a member of this collective, and also reviewed academic, newspaper and video sources to generate this contribution to the Phantoms of the Past Project. In June, 2020, the Countering Colston movement gained significant media attention, at local to international scales, when the statue of Edward Colston was toppled by protestors and thrown into the harbour in Bristol. Through our interview and research we have come to understand that the Countering Colston movement is much more than this specific act of destroying a statue. This movement consists of a collective of individuals who aim to counter the contemporary celebration of historical figures whose achievements were predicated on slavery, as well as raise awareness of the history of slavery, the lives of slaves, and the on-going effects of racism in British society. Understanding the act of toppling the statue as well as the broader focus of the collective on Edward Colston requires understanding the historical and contemporary significance of Edward Colston, who was a slave trading merchant in the 17th century, as well as the Merchant Venturers, a group of capitalist investors whose wealth was predicated on slavery. As detailed in the interview and the resources below, members of the Countering Colston movement have been actively working over a broad period of time to counter the contemporary celebration of Edward Colston and the continued power of the Merchant Venturers. As well, this movement has sought to raise awareness regarding the history of colonialism and transatlantic slavery, acknowledge and celebrate the lives and contributions of slaves and those who resisted slavery, and identify and address continued negative effects of historical slavery. In short, the Countering Colston movement both demonstrates why understanding and acknowledging history matters within contemporary society, and also exemplifies approaches to move towards more equitable societies.
For further reading:
Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity. “CoDE Briefing Bristol v2.” Last modified January 17.https://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/CoDE%20Briefing%20Bristol%20v2.pdf.
This four page brief produced by Elahi, Finny and Lymperopoulou for the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity draws on various sources of data, including 2001 and 2011 Censuses and workshops held with diverse participants, to document ethnic inequalities in Bristol, a city in 22% of citizens identify as other than ‘White British’. It also seeks to reveal forces shaping these inequalities and suggest solutions aimed at lessening them. The report centers on inequalities in the areas of education and employment and how these exist for all ethnic minority groups in Bristol, but also concludes that Black Africian people in Bristol experience the greatest degrees of inequality. As one example, in terms of educational inequalities, Bristol ranked 159th out of 348 districts in England Wales when considering all ethnic minorities, but ranked the 3rd highest when considering Black African or Caribbean people. Solutions forwarded in the report are quite vague and general, such as enhancing positive employment practices amongst employers and increasing diversity of teaching staff. Historical roots of contemporary inequalities are inadequately addressed. However, this report effectively provides evidence of continued inequalities with Bristol, thereby demonstrating the importance of the Countering Colston movement.
Countering Colston. “Countering Colston – Campaign to Decolonise Bristol.” Accessed October 23, 2020. https://counteringcolston.wordpress.com/
This resource is the official website of the Countering Colston movement. As such, it provides the perspectives of this collective regarding historical and contemporary issues pertaining to issues of slavery and its continued effects in Bristol, as well as in Britain more broadly. It provides easily accessible information about who Edward Colston was, as well as actions taken thus far to remove his name from various buildings and establishments in Bristol. It also points to the need for additional action, beyond removal of his name and the statue, such as creation of a slavery memorial and museum. The website effectively places the act of removing the statue within the broader actions and aims of the Countering Colston movement, and provides an opening for others to join this collective.
Martin, Ros. “Fanny Coker memorial tribute Aug 2017 Greenbank cemetery” Last modified
September 7, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09WNdrZDM9M.
This resource is a short film produced by Ros Martin in partnership with several other artists from Bristol. The film documents a memorial tribute held for Frances Fumanya Coker, a born enslaved ‘mulatto’ woman who served in the Georgian House in Bristol as a seamstress and maidservant. Coker lived from 1767 to 1820, and this memorial occurred on the 250th anniversary of her birthday. This video provides insight into the work of individuals associated with the Countering Colston movement. The memorial served to acknowledge, make visible and celebrate the life of a slave, countering the lack of awareness and acknowledgment of the history of slavery in Bristol. The video shows how diverse members of the Bristol community are brought together through this memorial, displaying how the Countering Colston movement seeks to encompass and activate the broader community of Bristol. This also provides a link to Ros Martin’s YouTube channel allowing for exploration of several of her projects.
Nasar, Saima. “Remembering Edward Colston: histories of slavery, memory, and black
globality.” Women’s History Review (2020):https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epub/
This opinion piece written by Saima Nasar, a member of the History Department at the University of Bristol, provides the author’s reflections on the Countering Colston movement and the significance of removing the statue of Edward Colston. In addition to providing a brief overview of the movement that addresses its driving forces and aims, Nasar also describes who Edward Colston was and who the Merchant Venturers are. Nasar contends that the act of bringing down the statue was significant given that is was a symbolic reminder of the power afforded to Colston through his involvement in the slave trade. Remembering Edward Colston, and understanding the Countering Colston movement, are positioned by Nasar as important means to learn about not only histories of slavery but also continued racial inequality and modes of resistance. Although other analysts have argued that removing Colston’s statue does not erase history, Nasar argues that this type of act of resistance creates space for people within Bristol, as well as within Britain more widely, to gain knowledge of their history and work to confront its on-going effects.
Olawale Arts. “About Me.” Accessed October 23, 2020.http://olawalearts.org.uk/?fbclid
=IwAR0Hb0k3FLYluJy6YbEE1Rv_ctfHACNH1nq_h4vUZNYjacsgWGKbN0mUrM8
This resource is a website produced by Ros Martin, displaying her multiple identities and roles as a Bristol-based playwright, artist, author, poet, feminist, producer and social activities. It provides further information about her various completed and on-going projects, and provides visual examples of her art.
Parkes, Pamela. “Who was Edward Colston and why is Bristol divided by his legacy?.” BBC
News. June 8, 2020.https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-42404825?fbclid
=IwAR0Mo9AMjOwe6pHTe4SljgQgLeoPzm85T0Zd1j8UMm0YR-zISbpCHgd_9ok
This article for the BBC by Pamela Parks written in the summer of 2020 provides a balanced account of the debate surrounding Edward Colston and the movement to counter his on-going presence within Bristol. This article, written the day prior to the statue actually being taken down, focuses on a debate about placing a plaque on the statue of Edward Colston that would detail his significant role in the slave trade. Parks provides details regarding the history of Edward Colston and the Merchant Venturers, a group of capitalist investors of which Colston was a member. The role of Colston and the Merchant Venturers in the Royal African Company is explained, highlighting how their fortunes were made from slavery of African peoples. The on-going influence of the Merchant Venturers within modern day Bristol is also addressed, although in lesser detail than the attention given to the history of this organization. The article draws upon an interview conducted with Ros Martin to voice the perspective of the Countering Colston group.
Russell, Anna. “How Statues in Britain Began to Fall.” The New Yorker. June 22, 2020.https:
This article by Anna Russel published in the New Yorker explains the events surrounding and leading up to the dismantling of the statue of Edward Colston from three perspectives: Vanessa Kissule, a writer and performer who lives in Briston; Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol; and, various members of the Countering Colston movement. This article provides information about the history of Colston and how and why the Merchant Venturers seek to glorify him. It also addresses how the Countering Colston movement seeks to counter the on-going influence of the Merchant Venturers. Moreover, drawing on the various perspectives, Russell provides details regarding the June 8th march, how and why the statue was torn down, and reactions to the dismantling by a variety of people of different walks of life within Bristol.
Wall, Tom. “The day Bristol dumped its hated slave trader in the docks and a nation began to
search its soul.” The Guardian. June 14, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news
This article by Tom Wall for The Guardian provides an example of an analysis of the events of June 8th, specifically, the tearing down of the Edward Colston statue, that narrowly attends to it as a spontaneous radical act. Wall falls to address the history of the Countering Colston movement, instead depicting the events that led to the fall of the statue as rooted in anti-racist sentiments of youthful protestors sparked by recent American events. Wall places these youth as a new generation of activists separate from the Countering Colston movement. Wall also addresses the reactions of the local municipal government and broader English reactions to the movement and the act. Wall contends that this radical act was effective given that the Bristol City Council and the Merchant Venturers were seeking to distance themselves from Colston, particularly given the international response.