BLM AND UK HERITAGE

In the summer of 2020 I worked with colleagues at the Cambridge Heritage Research Centre to record as much as possible of the public debate around monuments linked to slavery and colonialism. We believed that it was important to capture what was said as events were unfolding.

Taking the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston as our starting point, we trawled social media and newspapers to create a publicly accessible archive of the debate. I also wanted to hear directly from the key players in what was unfolding. Focusing on three flashpoints: the commemoration of Edward Colston in Bristol, the Melville Monument in Edinburgh, and the statue of Robert Milligan outside the Museum of London Docklands, I sought out activists, heritage professionals, and representatives of local government. I interviewed many of the contacts I made and then uploaded the transcripts to the archive.

The archive is presented along with details of our methodology, but without analysis. Our primary aim was not to attempt to interpret what happened in the summer of 2020, but to offer a resource for future researchers and for students. In the following years it was drawn on by heritage professionals and policy-makers.

At 45 metres tall the monument to Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville towers over St Andrew’s Square, Edinburgh. The campaign to add a plaque to the statue which would explain Dundas’ role in delaying the abolition of the slave trade was given fresh impetus during the summer of 2020. I interviewed Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, the most prominent campaigner in favour of the plaque and his supporter Adam McVey, the leader of Edinburgh Council.