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Opinion

Enslaved Africans put the 'great' in Great Britain. We must give them long overdue remembrance

There is no public acknowledgement or recognition of slavery's enormous contribution to Britain – a new campaign from Memorial 2007 wants to change that

Enslaved Africans Memorial campaigner Oku Ekpenyon

Credit: Ocean Outdoor

“There is no institution in modernity that has changed the world as profoundly as the Transatlantic Slave Trade and slavery in general. And we see the evidence of those legacies everywhere,” said professor Hilary Beckles.

The Transatlantic Slave Trade and slavery was the world’s greatest forced migration, lasting over a period of five centuries. It was the greatest crime against humanity without which the African diaspora, displaced Africans globally, would not have been created.

It was this enforced slave labour of those human beings – yes, human beings, with beating hearts, feelings and emotions just like anyone else – who were enslaved solely because of the colour of their skin: racism. They created great wealth for Britain and Europe. The wealth that came back to Britain helped to finance and lay the foundations of the Industrial Revolution and provided the economic foundation of modern Britain. It was this wealth that helped to put the ‘Great’ into Great Britain.

Yet, despite this, there is no public acknowledgement or recognition of their enormous contribution to Britain, a country that has memorials galore, of one kind or another, up and down the land. According to Art UK, there are more than 1,800 memorials and sculptures in London alone, but there is not anything to remember these people who were ripped from their families multiple times.

Firstly, from their families in Africa, with many dying en route on the arduous march to the coast, then during the horrors of the Middle Passage and the long tortuous journey across the Atlantic Ocean. They were crammed together, body to body and shoulder to shoulder, with no room to move in the depths of the dark, putrid confines, of the slave ships’ holds, where they suffered pain and agony. Bodies were thrown overboard, both dead and alive. Secondly when they were sold off as pieces of ‘property’ from their plantation families, some many times over, causing distress, heartbreak, loss and permanent separation.

They were brutalised, traumatised, terrorised, dehumanised, mutilated, physically abused and sexually assaulted. They also lost their names, identities, language, heritage, stripped of everything and murdered. African lives were stolen to create this country’s wealth. As historian David Olusoga said, “The slaves have not been cast in bronze but into obscurity.” This is why the Enslaved Africans Memorial is important, to give a forgotten people long overdue remembrance.

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The importance of the Enslaved Africans Memorial also lies in its function as an educational resource so that people can learn about this period in British history. It will give an understanding about where the underlying wealth of Britain came from and at what cost to generations of African people. It is an integral part of British history and as such should not be ignored and buried.

The use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will provide an immersive educational experience, giving visitors on line access to the Enslaved Africans Memorial as an interactive learning resource wherever they are, anywhere in the world.

There is also the importance on a personal level. Paterson Joseph, actor, author and chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, said at the Memorial 2007 Lecture in 2023: “If there had been such a memorial when I was growing up ‘othered’, it would have given me a sense of belonging.” This is not an uncommon reflection and speaks to the hearts of many in Britain today. To those who despite their continuous ongoing contributions to the country and their years of living here, for many all of their lives, as Britain is their country of birth, they do not feel a sense of belonging.

In order to see this vitally important memorial erected, £4m has to be raised to create the memorial garden and sculpture as its centrepiece. Memorial 2007, a registered educational charity, which is 100% volunteer driven, is reaching out with the ‘Cup of Coffee’ campaign. We are asking for public support in setting up a monthly standing order by donating the cost of a cup of coffee. The support of individuals will make the Enslaved Africans Memorial a reality and give some justice that has been denied for too long.

For more information about the project visit memorial2007.org.uk. Please join us by being part of creating this groundbreaking memorial. It will be a milestone by going some way in addressing a longstanding inequality.

For those of you who have already come on board, we thank you. To those of you who would like to join us, we welcome you.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a Vendor Support Kit.

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