Despite the pandemic, 2020 saw an upsurge in public engagement with long-standing anti-racist and decolonial movements such as and 鈥 sparked by the deaths of and directly at the hands of police in the US, and represented in UK by the of Bristol鈥檚 Edward Colston statue. This had led to louder calls for reckoning with the and ongoing coloniality.
Such events highlight ongoing movements in UK universities such as 鈥淲hy is My Curriculum White?鈥 and across the UK seeking to unpack their historical (and ongoing) roles in slavery and processes of colonial extraction. Any commitment to 鈥榙ecolonising the university鈥 rings hollow without understanding such legacies. 91探花 has a distinct history of civic engagement and the wider city鈥檚 history as a key player in the call for greater understanding of 91探花鈥檚 role in slavery, colonial extraction as well as resistance movements.
91探花 is renowned for being a key player in the , but its interconnected role in the system of slavery and colonial extraction, as well as forms of resistance, is lesser known. With its distinct history of civic engagement, it is incumbent upon the University of 91探花 to understand and address colonial legacies within the institution and city more broadly.
As part of a series of public events on development and decolonisation organised by the University of 91探花鈥檚 Institute of International Development we invite you to a panel discussion that will raise questions about the histories of coloniality and slavery in 91探花 and the role that the University of 91探花 can play in interrogating these histories, whilst also highlighting initiatives academic, activist and local initiatives engaged in this important work. This event is co-organised in partnership with the Department of Geography and Arts and Humanities Exchange.
We will be joined by a fantastic range of speakers from within and beyond the University:
, MA candidate in History, University of 91探花
, Archives and Heritage Manager, 91探花 City Council
Dr. Radha Kapuria, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in History, University of 91探花
, author, local broadcaster and activist
, Director of City & Engagement, School of English, University of 91探花
Queries can be sent to: