![\"The](\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2024\/04\/Colston-Exhibition-12-CB-Bristol-Design-2021-min-1024x628.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy was the\u202fWe Are Bristol History Commission<\/em>\u202fsurvey important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cGiven the controversial status of the statue\u2026 it was vital that the History Commission listened to Bristol voices from across the whole city concerning its future.\u201d – Associate<\/strong> Professor Estella Tincknell<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cLocal experts were consulted, not just decision-makers with power over the narrative. That level of equity is truly valuable. Not just for us, but for the next generation who will view the past in a more informed manner.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe survey and the temporary display of the statue were starting points for further conversation, for figuring out how to heal the fractured divides in the city and how to deal with the city\u2019s past involvement in the transatlantic trafficking of African people.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe survey made it possible to say we had a mandate from all walks of life, which broadly supported the statue coming down or at least being consigned to \u2018archival\u2019 history. We could proceed safe in the knowledge that the statue would not become a fault line in the city\u2019s cohesion.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nHow do you feel about having played a pivotal part in the co-curation of the Edward Colston statue in M Shed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cI feel ambivalent about having played a central role in the whole thing. My ambivalence stems from my feelings about having to have these conversations in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The summer of 2020 was such an emotional and exhausting time. We were in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown and faced with the brutal murder of George Floyd, which sparked the Black Lives Matter protests, that resulted in the statue being toppled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am glad I was asked and proud of what we collectively achieved, but it is a difficult thing to celebrate and be happy about. I live with the complexities of the conversation every single day.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI am particularly proud of being part of a process where the city\u2019s institutions rose to the challenge of working together for the health of the city for now and for the future.\u201d <\/strong> – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt really was an honour and a privilege to be involved. Rising Arts Agency is all about empowering young leaders and I\u2019m glad they presented me with the opportunity to have my say.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat have you learnt through the process?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cI was pleased to witness the care and attention of both the History Commission and the M Shed team. Everyone took on the task seriously, thoughtfully, carefully, professionally.\u201d <\/strong> – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cOur reaction to educating others through an accurate representation of history is still often based in our own egotistical instincts and bias.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI felt heartened by my fellow Commissioners’ care for the city. I was also highly impressed by the work of our heritage teams who managed the data collection and helped us to analyse the data which informed our conversations.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat do you hope the exhibition achieves?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cI hope it is the start of a conversation, not the end, about the transatlantic slave trade, about Empire and about what it means to be British. We need to move away from smooth juvenile narratives of a united past.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cHumility. My hope is that instead of ego, this exhibition would be met with the necessary humility to learn.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI hope the exhibition acts as a monument, not to Colston, but to the contested history the statue represents, including the complex histories of Bristol and its citizens, and the events that brought it down.\u201d – Associate Professor Estella Tincknell<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI hope it provides an educational entry point for all and adds to the untold story about where and how Colston got his money and what can happen next.\u201d – Dr<\/strong> Roger Griffith MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe anti-racism struggle and the fight for equality and justice were never about statues, it was about housing, education, criminal justice and structural inequalities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My hope for the exhibition is that it keeps that wider context and conversation alive. It is an important part of our collective history we all need to learn from.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Signs](\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2024\/04\/Black-Lives-Matter-Bristol-protest-signs-exhibition.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat are your dreams for Bristol’s future?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cI hope that we deepen the conversation beyond toppling and renaming. The structural inequalities of race and to an extent class that we see today are legacies of the transatlantic slave trade.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cMore young leaders. More sustainable ways to better understand and look after each other. Just like this commission has provided!\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cA more equal, less segregated city in which inequalities of wealth, health, social capital and cultural capital are significantly diminished.\u201d – Associate<\/strong> Professor Estella Tincknell<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThat our shared history is properly taught in schools, colleges and universities.\u201d – Dr Roger Griffith MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI came to first work and live in Bristol in 1995, and we were having the same conversations back then, and I know it of course pre-dated my arrival. I hope in 30 years\u2019 time, the conversations we will be having will be very different.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nFind out more<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Read more about the new display at M Shed.<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Here are some suggested starting points if you\u2019re interested in finding out more about efforts in Bristol to engage with the history and legacy of the city\u2019s involvement in the transatlantic traffic of enslaved Africans: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Bristol Legacy Foundation<\/a>, working to create sites of commemoration and a story-house to explore the history and legacies of the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Black South West Network<\/a>, a leading Black-led racial justice organisation working to drive racial equity through a meaningful community led approach. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Colston\u2019s Last Journey<\/a>, a work of sound art by a Bristol poet, writer and located audio designer Ralph Hoyte. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- The Transatlantic Trafficked Enslaved African Corrective Historical (TTEACH) plaques campaign<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- The Charting African Resilience Generating Opportunities (CARGO) movement<\/a>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
With thanks to:<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\nDr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong>, Doctor of Philosophy \u2013 History, Church, Race and Social Inclusion, 2005. <\/p>\n\n\n\nDr Roger Griffith MBE<\/strong>, Diversity \uff06 Community Projects, Honorary Doctor of Art, 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\nProfessor Shawn Sobers<\/strong>, Cultural Interdisciplinary Practice, PhD Art Media Design, 2010. <\/p>\n\n\n\nOlumide Osinoiki<\/strong>, BA(Hons) Photography, 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAssociate Professor Estella Tincknell<\/strong>, Film and Culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\nMain image reference:<\/strong> the above contributors, starting from top left.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UWE Bristol alumni \u2013 quick links<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nUWE Bristol Alumni homepage<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nSign up for offers and fundraising and update your details<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nJoin Alumni Connect online mentoring network<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nExplore Alumni benefits and discounts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nSupport UWE Bristol Fund<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The fallen statue of slave trader Edward Colston is among the items on display at M Shed\u2019s newly extended exhibition about the history of protest in Bristol. Black Lives Matter marches in June 2020 saw protestors pull down the statue and throw it into the floating harbour. It was then temporarily housed at M Shed … Continue reading “Co-curating Colston: confronting Bristol\u2019s history”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":1672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":5,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,8],"tags":[13,7],"class_list":["post-1667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-bristol","tag-alumni","tag-bristol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1667"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1676,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667\/revisions\/1676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cLocal experts were consulted, not just decision-makers with power over the narrative. That level of equity is truly valuable. Not just for us, but for the next generation who will view the past in a more informed manner.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe survey and the temporary display of the statue were starting points for further conversation, for figuring out how to heal the fractured divides in the city and how to deal with the city\u2019s past involvement in the transatlantic trafficking of African people.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe survey made it possible to say we had a mandate from all walks of life, which broadly supported the statue coming down or at least being consigned to \u2018archival\u2019 history. We could proceed safe in the knowledge that the statue would not become a fault line in the city\u2019s cohesion.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI feel ambivalent about having played a central role in the whole thing. My ambivalence stems from my feelings about having to have these conversations in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The summer of 2020 was such an emotional and exhausting time. We were in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown and faced with the brutal murder of George Floyd, which sparked the Black Lives Matter protests, that resulted in the statue being toppled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I am glad I was asked and proud of what we collectively achieved, but it is a difficult thing to celebrate and be happy about. I live with the complexities of the conversation every single day.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am particularly proud of being part of a process where the city\u2019s institutions rose to the challenge of working together for the health of the city for now and for the future.\u201d <\/strong> – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt really was an honour and a privilege to be involved. Rising Arts Agency is all about empowering young leaders and I\u2019m glad they presented me with the opportunity to have my say.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was pleased to witness the care and attention of both the History Commission and the M Shed team. Everyone took on the task seriously, thoughtfully, carefully, professionally.\u201d <\/strong> – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur reaction to educating others through an accurate representation of history is still often based in our own egotistical instincts and bias.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI felt heartened by my fellow Commissioners’ care for the city. I was also highly impressed by the work of our heritage teams who managed the data collection and helped us to analyse the data which informed our conversations.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope it is the start of a conversation, not the end, about the transatlantic slave trade, about Empire and about what it means to be British. We need to move away from smooth juvenile narratives of a united past.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHumility. My hope is that instead of ego, this exhibition would be met with the necessary humility to learn.\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope the exhibition acts as a monument, not to Colston, but to the contested history the statue represents, including the complex histories of Bristol and its citizens, and the events that brought it down.\u201d – Associate Professor Estella Tincknell<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope it provides an educational entry point for all and adds to the untold story about where and how Colston got his money and what can happen next.\u201d – Dr<\/strong> Roger Griffith MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe anti-racism struggle and the fight for equality and justice were never about statues, it was about housing, education, criminal justice and structural inequalities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My hope for the exhibition is that it keeps that wider context and conversation alive. It is an important part of our collective history we all need to learn from.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope that we deepen the conversation beyond toppling and renaming. The structural inequalities of race and to an extent class that we see today are legacies of the transatlantic slave trade.\u201d – Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore young leaders. More sustainable ways to better understand and look after each other. Just like this commission has provided!\u201d – Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA more equal, less segregated city in which inequalities of wealth, health, social capital and cultural capital are significantly diminished.\u201d – Associate<\/strong> Professor Estella Tincknell<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat our shared history is properly taught in schools, colleges and universities.\u201d – Dr Roger Griffith MBE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI came to first work and live in Bristol in 1995, and we were having the same conversations back then, and I know it of course pre-dated my arrival. I hope in 30 years\u2019 time, the conversations we will be having will be very different.\u201d – Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some suggested starting points if you\u2019re interested in finding out more about efforts in Bristol to engage with the history and legacy of the city\u2019s involvement in the transatlantic traffic of enslaved Africans: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Edson Burton MBE<\/strong>, Doctor of Philosophy \u2013 History, Church, Race and Social Inclusion, 2005. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Roger Griffith MBE<\/strong>, Diversity \uff06 Community Projects, Honorary Doctor of Art, 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Professor Shawn Sobers<\/strong>, Cultural Interdisciplinary Practice, PhD Art Media Design, 2010. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Olumide Osinoiki<\/strong>, BA(Hons) Photography, 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Associate Professor Estella Tincknell<\/strong>, Film and Culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Main image reference:<\/strong> the above contributors, starting from top left.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n UWE Bristol Alumni homepage<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sign up for offers and fundraising and update your details<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Join Alumni Connect online mentoring network<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Explore Alumni benefits and discounts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Support UWE Bristol Fund<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The fallen statue of slave trader Edward Colston is among the items on display at M Shed\u2019s newly extended exhibition about the history of protest in Bristol. Black Lives Matter marches in June 2020 saw protestors pull down the statue and throw it into the floating harbour. It was then temporarily housed at M Shed … Continue reading “Co-curating Colston: confronting Bristol\u2019s history”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":1672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":5,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,8],"tags":[13,7],"class_list":["post-1667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-bristol","tag-alumni","tag-bristol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1667"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1676,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1667\/revisions\/1676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How do you feel about having played a pivotal part in the co-curation of the Edward Colston statue in M Shed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What have you learnt through the process?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What do you hope the exhibition achieves?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat are your dreams for Bristol’s future?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Find out more<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
With thanks to:<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
UWE Bristol alumni \u2013 quick links<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n