"Slave Trade? Wasnae Us!"
CH | 16.09.2007 13:03 | Anti-racism | Culture | Migration
As part of Glasgow's Doors Open day and a curtain-raiser to October's Black History Month events, speakers and musicians gathered at St Andrews in the Square to commemorate 200 years since the Abolition of Slavery Act.
Exhibtion on Glasgow's Role in the Slave Trade Opens
The Parsonage sing at Event to Commemorate Abolition of Slavery Act
Recognising that a large part of Glasgow's built heritage, notably the Merchant City, was built on profits of the slave trade, Glasgow Buildings Preservation Trust and Glasgow Anti Racist-Alliance collaborated on an event and exhibition to highlight a part of Glasgow's past frequently denied. "It wasnae us, it was the English", was the popular myth demolished by the nights' speakers.
First Dr Eric Graham spoke of how for some Scots the 1707 Act of Union was their opportunity to break into the profitable Caribbean slave, sugar and tobacco trade. The first ships launched with names like the "Hanoverian", proclaiming their commitment to Empire. They found their niche on islands like St Kitts, Antigua and most of all, Jamaica. At one point that small island was home to 300,000 slaves (more than America), lorded over by 20,000 whites. 10,000 of them were Scottish.
The profits from this trade made the "Tobacco Lords" Glasgow's elite and their power is still seen in the large estates and buildings they created at home, from the City Chambers to the Necropolis. However, this power wasn't unquestioned and Glasgow became in time a force in the Abolition movement, partly sparked by some (though not all) figures in the Scots Enlightenment, a debate dramatised tonight.
After some music from The Parsonage Choir, Monumental Groove and the Carribean Star Gazers Steel Band the history was put into a contemporary context by Professor Geoff Palmer, who has uncovered large amounts of this hidden history. Speaking to Jamaican families in London recently he found that 70% of the people present had Scottish surnames like Macfarlane. "It has made us all who we are today", he said of the trade. However this shouldn't be a reason for blame but rather determination not to allow morally wrong but legal activities, as the slave trade was for 300 years, to go unopposed.
This sentiment was echoed in the closing speech by Graham Campbell of the African-Caribbean Network. People should use the knowledge of Glasgow's past and become determined to fight racism where it exists now, whether in day-to-day activities or in government policies towards asylum, immigration and "illegal" workers. Just because an activity is lawful, doesn't make it right.
-----------------------------
The exhibition runs for another month or so at St Andrews in the Square, Glasgow (back of Saltmarket & London Road).
-----------------------------
See also:
http://gara.org.uk/
http://www.gbpt.org/
First Dr Eric Graham spoke of how for some Scots the 1707 Act of Union was their opportunity to break into the profitable Caribbean slave, sugar and tobacco trade. The first ships launched with names like the "Hanoverian", proclaiming their commitment to Empire. They found their niche on islands like St Kitts, Antigua and most of all, Jamaica. At one point that small island was home to 300,000 slaves (more than America), lorded over by 20,000 whites. 10,000 of them were Scottish.
The profits from this trade made the "Tobacco Lords" Glasgow's elite and their power is still seen in the large estates and buildings they created at home, from the City Chambers to the Necropolis. However, this power wasn't unquestioned and Glasgow became in time a force in the Abolition movement, partly sparked by some (though not all) figures in the Scots Enlightenment, a debate dramatised tonight.
After some music from The Parsonage Choir, Monumental Groove and the Carribean Star Gazers Steel Band the history was put into a contemporary context by Professor Geoff Palmer, who has uncovered large amounts of this hidden history. Speaking to Jamaican families in London recently he found that 70% of the people present had Scottish surnames like Macfarlane. "It has made us all who we are today", he said of the trade. However this shouldn't be a reason for blame but rather determination not to allow morally wrong but legal activities, as the slave trade was for 300 years, to go unopposed.
This sentiment was echoed in the closing speech by Graham Campbell of the African-Caribbean Network. People should use the knowledge of Glasgow's past and become determined to fight racism where it exists now, whether in day-to-day activities or in government policies towards asylum, immigration and "illegal" workers. Just because an activity is lawful, doesn't make it right.
-----------------------------
The exhibition runs for another month or so at St Andrews in the Square, Glasgow (back of Saltmarket & London Road).
-----------------------------
See also:
http://gara.org.uk/ http://www.gbpt.org/
CH
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