After condeming the city's move towards commemorating the 'abolition of the slave trade' in 2007, the Consortium of Black Groups have published a statement giving the city institutions a road-map of how the commemorations should be handled.
The statement vows that the consortium will campaign against stagey insensitive activities, while continuing to campaign for sustainable and significant measures targeted at redressing inequalities associated with the legacy of enslavement of Africans.
The proposals also assert 2007 as a milestone on a much longer journey.
The statement is copied below...
COBG Position Statement
Bi-centenary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (Maafa).
Introduction
Nationally a steering group has been formed to plan and co-ordinate events in 2007 which commemorates the two hundredth anniversary of the passing of the Abolition of Slavery Trade Act which entered the statute book on the 25th March 1807. Four cities are the focus of these commemorations planning, namely: Bristol, Hull, Liverpool and London. Bristol City Council (BCC) though, has a track record of organising and planning events that promotes the wealth and development of the City without consideration for or involvement of people of Afrikan descent. Regrettably, it has taken exactly this insensitive approach to its emerging 2007 planning.
Bristol’s Afrikan/Caribbean communities have a wealth of ideas for how this traumatic period in our history should be commemorated and in what ways. Emerging from a number of public meetings since December 2005, with local BME communities, is agreement that the Consortium of Black Groups (COBG) is the appropriate vehicle to lead the 2007 agenda and articulate Afrikan/Caribbean people’s aspiration and ambitions for and from 2007. From these meetings consensus was also reached to the effect that Afrikan an Afrikan Caribbean people would lead Bristol’s contribution both to local and national actions throughout 2007.
The COBG’s stance is that 2007 should be a catalyst to invigorate and give focus to an agenda for change that improves the socio-economic and political position of Afrikan/Caribbean people in Bristol. This agenda would also influence national policy to improve the position of BME people, generally, in society.
The slave trade was a holocaust committed against Afrikan peoples and we believe that this inhumane and wrongful act is still impacting on Afrikans wherever they live in the Diaspora and continues to blight the lives of Afrikans on the continent today. The fight for freedom and our continued quest for social justice in the education system, housing, employment, health, and criminal justice systems, and arts, culture, and sports demonstrate that Black people’s situation has not changed to any great extent. We have simply swapped one form of slavery for another.
The COBG does not, therefore, support any celebration, actions or symbols that commemorates the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade per se. Notwithstanding this position, there is little doubt that 2007 ‘celebrations/commemorations’ proposed by Bristol City Council will go ahead. However, we believe that they will be nothing more than public relations exercises since the Council lacks both the political will and commitment to work with the BME community to progress the agenda for change that COBG champions on behalf of Bristol’s Black Communities.
We therefore urge our people to boycott any initiative that does not progress our agenda for social justice and make meaningful and lasting change to the position of Black people in Bristol.
Vision
Raise awareness of the abolition of the slave trade (Maafa), and seek to eradicate its legacy of racism and anti Afrikan sentiments rife in British culture whilst we promote social justice and reconciliation.
Purpose
Progress the agenda for change necessary to redress deep-seated disadvantage experienced by Bristol's Afrikan Caribbean Communities and actively campaign against any commemorative events themed around the actions of a eurocentric abolitionist movement.
Aims & Objectives
Education
1. To raise awareness amongst Afrikan Caribbean’s in particular and Bristol in general, of the National commemoration acknowledging 200 years since the 1807 abolition of the enslavement of Afrikans known as the “slave trade”.
Leadership
2. To develop Black leadership and encourage Afrikan Caribbean communities to act in unity in support of our mental liberation.
Legacy
3. To identify and explain the relationship between the historical enslavement of Afrikans and contemporary patterns of local, national and international racism, inequality and injustice.
Policy
4. To lobby and campaign for policy changes to redress socio-economic and political disparities facing Black people with respect to education, housing, criminal justice, and culture, arts and sports.
5.
Networks & Reconciliation
6. To work with like-minded partners and when appropriate form alliances to ensure 2007 is a year of reconciliation where the City comes to terms with the fullness of its history and the fragility of its race relations. The alternative is that 2007 widens existing divisions.
Moral Integrity
7. Using the history of the city as a platform, we will lead Bristol to stand against all forms of slavery wherever it occurs for example the developing world debt crisis and unfair trade, the international trafficking of women for the sex industry and exploitative child labour.
Through all this we will remain true to our commitment to the COBG’s principle of non-participation in any plans or programmes that do not meet the expectations, needs and aspirations of Afrikan Caribbean people.
Outline Plan for Achieving COBG’s Aims & Objectives for 2007 and beyond
In December 2005 and January 2006 public debates were held to explore with Afrikan and Afrikan Caribbean Bristolians the shape of commemoration in 2007. We offer up a set of events, themes and policy initiatives which we expect will form the backbone of all events through 2007 and beyond.
Education & Awareness
o National Curriculum: We will campaign and lobby for stronger emphasis in the National Curriculum in general and Bristol Schools in particular on the history and legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in Britain.
o Bristol Schools: Lobby the LEA and all schools in Bristol to teach about the local connections with and visible legacies of the slave trade.
o Educational Resources: Develop exhibition material and school assembly and classroom based lesson educational resources that help to highlight and recognise the contribution that Afrikan people made and continue to make to the wealth and prosperity of Bristol and Bristolians today.
o Public Education: A year long programme based on a series of 12 films, lectures and debates focusing past, present and future patterns of race relations and global development – including what came before slavery.
Leadership
o National/International Leadership: In collaboration with regional and national partners, devise a year-long leadership development programme to identify and nurture BME leadership across the country. We will identify three delegates from each of the four key 2007 cities and working with national/international politicians and big business invest in and give national and international profile to their leadership potential.
o Bristol Leadership: Identify 15 – 20 young people for leadership development. The scheme will be launched in January 2007. The intention is to consciously develop a group of young people to help lead the city of Bristol into the future.
Legacy
o Kuumba: Champion Kuumba’s development plans and ambitions for the Westmoreland House / Carriage Works site, situated in Stokes Croft (a major Bristol Gateway) so that by 2008 the organisation is operating from new location more befitting of the premier black-led arts and cultural centre in the South West of England. This will be a significant legacy for Bristol: a physical, tangible legacy that is meaningful, measurable and sustainable.
o Advocate and lobby relevant authorities and agencies to secure capital investment for the development and sustainability of BME Community institutions/assets: BDA, Malcolm X and CEED.
o Memorials: Campaign to have streets named after prominent Afrikan Caribbean people and to have sculptures/figures of Afrikan heroes and heroines placed prominently around Bristol and in its centre. Approach from a national heritage perspective.
o The Future: Establish an institution/organisation to carry forward the 2007 work, ideas and programmes initiated by COBG
Policy & Influence
o Remembrance: Campaign for a national annual remembrance day, starting from 2007, to commemorate victims of the slave trade, and those who suffered and struggled to achieve its end. Encourage people to sign a petition (5,000) to go to MP’s and national political leaders.
o Media: Influence commissioning editors of all the major broadcast / television media organisations, such as ITV, BBC to: -
- Commission Black production companies;
- Increase the numbers of Black trainees and staff
- Support community organisations to develop 2007 commemorative projects
Reconciliation
o Working with and sharing the insights of likeminded partners from the faith community, business world, political parties and community groups, we will open a process of racial reconciliation. It will be based on the idea that building a city of genuinely strong race relations will be free but it will not be cheap.
Communication
o Develop key communication objectives.
o Develop strategies to achieve objectives.
o Implement strategy via media campaign that communicate our message and attract local and National support and resources to progress our aims.
o Meet supporters, sponsors and funding bodies to discuss resources for COBG programmes and supported projects.
o Build coalitions with other communities, groups and organisations in order to achieve our objectives.
Boycott
a. Manage interface with other agencies and institutions in accordance with the vision, values and aspiration articulated in this document.
b. Actively campaign against anything that does not meet our aims and objectives
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