Dionne Grant: Whitewashing slave history in Liverpool?
Blacks in Liverpool question idea of rebranding
colonial legacy
I approached Liverpool’s infamous Penny Lane half
expecting be blinded by bright camera lights flashing
from the cameras of those hoping to archive their
visit to the lane made famous by the Beatles in 1967
with the No2 hit of the same name.
Surprisingly an eerie silence greeted me, accompanied
by an idle breeze that spiralled past me and worked
its way down the lifeless, residential road. I found
it hard to believe that this quiet suburban street had
become the subject of the recent media hysteria.
Penny Lane, named after the wealthy slave trader James
Penny, was one of seven streets in Liverpool that
faced renaming after a local councillor made public
its links to the slave trade. The proposal,
spearheaded by Woolton councillor Barbara Mace was
intended to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of
the slave trade next year. But last month Liverpool
Council withdrew this proposal.
CONSULTATION
Councillor Mace told The Voice, “I have withdrawn the
council motion to allow for wider consultation. This
will now be considered along with lots of other
suggestions”
Liverpool’s economy benefited enormously from the
slave trade in the 18th century and became a lucrative
port of call for slave ships travelling between Africa
and America. The very idea of a proposal to rename
these streets received mixed reviews from Liverpool’s
black community with over half of them expressing
concern at the council’s attempt to whitewash history.
David Clay, a former race relations officer in
Merseyside Community Council said: “You can call
Rodney Street Smith Street if you want but as far as
I’m concerned it’s still Rodney Street. It’s still the
legacy of slavery so it makes no difference whatsoever
whether you leave them as they are or you change them
because it’s not going to change history.”
Critics have accused councillor Mace of attempting to
rewrite history, which has forced her to defend her
original motion. She said: “I was not trying to
rewrite history. Our city’s history and involvement in
the slave trade is well documented in the Maritime
Museum. The suggestion was not tokenism or political
correctness, but seizing the opportunity to
commemorate people involved in the abolition of
slavery”.
The councillor is now in discussions with her party
about alternative methods of marking the event next
year. One of the council’s early plans was to name new
streets after celebrated abolitionists like William
Wilberforce and William Roscoe and some have
speculated that a street will be named after black
teenager Anthony walker who was murdered by white
youths on his way home last year....
Read entire article at Voice (UK)
colonial legacy
I approached Liverpool’s infamous Penny Lane half
expecting be blinded by bright camera lights flashing
from the cameras of those hoping to archive their
visit to the lane made famous by the Beatles in 1967
with the No2 hit of the same name.
Surprisingly an eerie silence greeted me, accompanied
by an idle breeze that spiralled past me and worked
its way down the lifeless, residential road. I found
it hard to believe that this quiet suburban street had
become the subject of the recent media hysteria.
Penny Lane, named after the wealthy slave trader James
Penny, was one of seven streets in Liverpool that
faced renaming after a local councillor made public
its links to the slave trade. The proposal,
spearheaded by Woolton councillor Barbara Mace was
intended to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of
the slave trade next year. But last month Liverpool
Council withdrew this proposal.
CONSULTATION
Councillor Mace told The Voice, “I have withdrawn the
council motion to allow for wider consultation. This
will now be considered along with lots of other
suggestions”
Liverpool’s economy benefited enormously from the
slave trade in the 18th century and became a lucrative
port of call for slave ships travelling between Africa
and America. The very idea of a proposal to rename
these streets received mixed reviews from Liverpool’s
black community with over half of them expressing
concern at the council’s attempt to whitewash history.
David Clay, a former race relations officer in
Merseyside Community Council said: “You can call
Rodney Street Smith Street if you want but as far as
I’m concerned it’s still Rodney Street. It’s still the
legacy of slavery so it makes no difference whatsoever
whether you leave them as they are or you change them
because it’s not going to change history.”
Critics have accused councillor Mace of attempting to
rewrite history, which has forced her to defend her
original motion. She said: “I was not trying to
rewrite history. Our city’s history and involvement in
the slave trade is well documented in the Maritime
Museum. The suggestion was not tokenism or political
correctness, but seizing the opportunity to
commemorate people involved in the abolition of
slavery”.
The councillor is now in discussions with her party
about alternative methods of marking the event next
year. One of the council’s early plans was to name new
streets after celebrated abolitionists like William
Wilberforce and William Roscoe and some have
speculated that a street will be named after black
teenager Anthony walker who was murdered by white
youths on his way home last year....