I know a lot more now than I knew 10 years ago, because of the increase in the numbers of publications of studies of Glasgow, Scotland and the slave trade.
I would promote education on the history of Glasgow’s slavery. It was a different time and the goods transported brought wealth and also work for the residents, such as tobacco factories. Slavery was inexcusable as was creating cigarettes for the masses. Pint though, it was of a time and street names/areas must be retained as reminders to the past when this was accepted and to demonstrate how far we’ve come.
I have learned a lot more over the past 20 years, particularly about our connections with the plantations in the Caribbean, because of the excellent work done by some writers and broadcasters. I'm ashamed to say that in the 70s, I used to teach school children about the Tobacco Lords with no reference to their reliance on slavery. This was normal at the time. We can't plead ignorance now. We're making progress, but much still remains to be done.
Glasgow must take responsibility for its contribution to the existence of slavery, many of our historic buildings, streets were either built by tobacco & plantation owners and our city streets named after them. There are monuments/statues visible in prominent areas erected in their memory. There should be no civic pride in this.
For me, it means (at a bare minimum) public acknowledgement and education. As a white, Scottish person living in Glasgow, I feel that this is part of my history and I want to understand it better. That includes understanding how the colonial project contributed to the vast socio-economic inequalities we see in Glasgow (and the rest of the UK) today – including the establishment of a hyper-wealthy "upper class" that still wields a huge amount of political and economic power. It shouldn't (in my view) mean some kind of "guilt-tripping" exercise for the many people who are struggling. For me, the point is that it's fundamentally the same extractivist mindset that drove enslavement that also keeps people poor and disenfranchised today. I think a wider understanding of that would be helpful.
Agree - it's not about guilt tripping at all. Just trying to understand a bit more how we got here. What do you think are the best ways to share this history (outwith young people in schools for example)?
If people are (genuinely) interested they will seek out the knowledge, we have this wonderful tool, the internet. Where basically all of our collective knowledge is available and the internet itself is available at local libraries and even on your mobile device. If you are standing in a street and for whatever reason have a burning need to know if the name of the street might be in anyway tied to the TAST you can look it up.
Before learning about Glasgow's involvement in the slavery trade in my final year optional course at university, where we looked at Stephen Mullen's report, I had not learnt anything about Glasgow's connections. I wish I had learnt about it earlier, while still at school.
Slavery was about way long before any involvement from anyone in Glasgow and in fact UK as a whole helped end it, we cant keep judging people on todays values, dont hide history
For me this isn’t about "judging people [in the past] on today's values” – I agree that’s not helpful. I also agree we shouldn't hide history – and I think that's precisely the point. It's about recognising how much of Glasgow – today’s Glasgow – has been built on wealth generated by extracting natural resources from other parts of the world through the forced labour of enslaved people. We can’t have meaningful conversations about so many other things – immigration, social inequality, poverty, racism, class, climate change – without acknowledging and understanding this.
Sure we can, brow beating the people of Glasgow today for the activities of the wealthy 200 years ago in no way facilitates or benefits todays issues and problems. To try and argue as much is barefaced racial dogma.
I know that many of the streets have been associated with the countries and the wealthy businessmen from Glasgow
I know a lot more now than I knew 10 years ago, because of the increase in the numbers of publications of studies of Glasgow, Scotland and the slave trade.
There is a need to contextualise slavery in human history and behaviours. Only then can you understand how their normality was rational.
I would promote education on the history of Glasgow’s slavery. It was a different time and the goods transported brought wealth and also work for the residents, such as tobacco factories. Slavery was inexcusable as was creating cigarettes for the masses. Pint though, it was of a time and street names/areas must be retained as reminders to the past when this was accepted and to demonstrate how far we’ve come.
I have learned a lot more over the past 20 years, particularly about our connections with the plantations in the Caribbean, because of the excellent work done by some writers and broadcasters. I'm ashamed to say that in the 70s, I used to teach school children about the Tobacco Lords with no reference to their reliance on slavery. This was normal at the time. We can't plead ignorance now. We're making progress, but much still remains to be done.
Glasgow must take responsibility for its contribution to the existence of slavery, many of our historic buildings, streets were either built by tobacco & plantation owners and our city streets named after them. There are monuments/statues visible in prominent areas erected in their memory. There should be no civic pride in this.
What does 'take responsibility for' entail for the majority of citizens of Glasgow?
For me, it means (at a bare minimum) public acknowledgement and education. As a white, Scottish person living in Glasgow, I feel that this is part of my history and I want to understand it better. That includes understanding how the colonial project contributed to the vast socio-economic inequalities we see in Glasgow (and the rest of the UK) today – including the establishment of a hyper-wealthy "upper class" that still wields a huge amount of political and economic power. It shouldn't (in my view) mean some kind of "guilt-tripping" exercise for the many people who are struggling. For me, the point is that it's fundamentally the same extractivist mindset that drove enslavement that also keeps people poor and disenfranchised today. I think a wider understanding of that would be helpful.
Then educate yourself. The history is out there, go and look it up.
We don't need GCC spending piles of cash tearing down statues and street names in order for you and others personal curiosity to be satisfied!
Agree - it's not about guilt tripping at all. Just trying to understand a bit more how we got here. What do you think are the best ways to share this history (outwith young people in schools for example)?
If people are (genuinely) interested they will seek out the knowledge, we have this wonderful tool, the internet. Where basically all of our collective knowledge is available and the internet itself is available at local libraries and even on your mobile device. If you are standing in a street and for whatever reason have a burning need to know if the name of the street might be in anyway tied to the TAST you can look it up.
Before learning about Glasgow's involvement in the slavery trade in my final year optional course at university, where we looked at Stephen Mullen's report, I had not learnt anything about Glasgow's connections. I wish I had learnt about it earlier, while still at school.
I, and many others, have no interest in this subject area. Just leave things as they are please.
Slavery was about way long before any involvement from anyone in Glasgow and in fact UK as a whole helped end it, we cant keep judging people on todays values, dont hide history
For me this isn’t about "judging people [in the past] on today's values” – I agree that’s not helpful. I also agree we shouldn't hide history – and I think that's precisely the point. It's about recognising how much of Glasgow – today’s Glasgow – has been built on wealth generated by extracting natural resources from other parts of the world through the forced labour of enslaved people. We can’t have meaningful conversations about so many other things – immigration, social inequality, poverty, racism, class, climate change – without acknowledging and understanding this.
Sure we can, brow beating the people of Glasgow today for the activities of the wealthy 200 years ago in no way facilitates or benefits todays issues and problems. To try and argue as much is barefaced racial dogma.