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The Berlin Conference 140 Years On

Remarks on the Preconditions Alan Lester These notes were the basis of a ten minute talk delivered at the Africa Centre, London as part of a panel in commemoration of the 140th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Conference of 1885.[i] I will aim to complement Dele’s [the previous speaker’s] focus on the discussion and outcomes of the conference itself by discussing its pre-history: the events and ideas that allowed European leaders to conceive it as both possible and legitimate to decide among themselves the fate of another continent while its inhabitants looked on from the sidelines. Such events […]

Blog British Empire History Reparations

Policy Exchange Attacks Church of England: for Overstating the Sin of Investing in Slavery?

Alan Lester The right wing think tank Policy Exchange has published a report attacking the Church of England Commissioners for planning to engage in reparative measures with an investment endowment fund of £100 million over the next nine years. The plan was devised after historians and accountants found indisputable evidence of the Church’s complicity in slave trading. But instead of simply stating why it is opposed to the plan, Policy Exchange has tried, and failed, to undermine the historical research behind it. The Conservative Peer, Lord Sewell of Sanderstead CBE initiates the report’s chastisement of the Church Commissioners with a […]

Blog British Empire culture war History Reparations

The Tory Party Leadership Contenders’ Outrageous Historical Revisionism

Alan Lester Conservative leadership contenders often say outrageous things as they vie for the support of the ‘Tory “selectorate’. Kemi Badenoch appreciated quickly that adopting an outraged blocking stance on a conversation about looming Commonwealth reparations claims was attractive to the party faithful. She got off the starting blocks in May, promoting the absurd notion that Britain had never profited from slavery. Compensating for a later start, Robert Jenrick has pushed the historical revisionism further, using the Daily Mail’s platform to suggest that those on the receiving end of slavery and colonial exploitation should thank Britain for it. He seems […]

Black Lives Matter British Empire History Media

Why it Still Matters

In this video, Alan Lester, Professor of Historical Geography at Sussex University, tackles common questions about the essential topic of Britain’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and its enduring legacy. Using data from two key resources—Slave Voyages and the UCL Legacies of British Slave Ownership project—Professor Lester addresses common objections from some audiences. He offers a historical comparison between the trans-Atlantic and Islamic slave systems, challenges the idea of “moving on” from the past, and sheds light on the deep-rooted inequalities that still exist due to Britain’s involvement in slavery.Made by After the Flood Documentaries : @atfdocumentary

British Empire culture war History

The Economist: What the Crown Jewels Reveal About Britain’s Colonial Past

https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/05/26/what-the-crown-jewels-reveal-about-britains-colonial-past “Modern attitudes towards the legacy of colonialism are shifting. Younger Britons are more sceptical than their parents about their country’s role in world history. And as historians scrutinise sources from former colonies, hard truths about Britain’s historical empire are emerging. People are eager to know more. Community groups who were consulted during research for the exhibition said they wanted to learn about the Koh-i-Noor and Cullinan diamonds, explains Mr Farris. In a similar vein, many Western museums are becoming increasingly transparent about contested objects in their collections. Yet even this retain and explain policy can meet resistance. Professor Lester […]

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