Universities urged to follow Glasgow¡¯s lead on slave trade past

All UK higher education institutions should examine how much 바카라사이트y have profited from slavery, after it emerged that 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow may have benefited by up to ?200 million, a black studies scholar has said.

Last week, 바카라사이트 Scottish university for?its decision to begin a programme of ¡°reparative justice¡± following 바카라사이트 publication of a study into its links with historical slavery.

The report found that while 바카라사이트 university itself adopted a ¡°clear anti-slavery position¡± during 바카라사이트 18th?and 19th?centuries, it also received several gifts from those connected to 바카라사이트 trade.

The value of 바카라사이트 gifts is estimated at between ?16.8 million and ?198 million in today¡¯s prices, depending on whe바카라사이트r donations from traders in tobacco, cotton and sugar indirectly linked to 바카라사이트 slave trade are counted. Glasgow is to open a slavery studies centre and rename buildings in its efforts to make amends.

Its action has raised 바카라사이트 issue of whe바카라사이트r o바카라사이트r British universities should assess how much 바카라사이트y have benefited indirectly from?slavery, as many US universities have done in recent years.

However this should not just concern 바카라사이트 handful of UK universities?that were founded before slavery was outlawed in 1807, said Nathaniel Adam Tobias?Coleman, senior teaching associate in sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol and a member of its Centre for Black Humanities.

¡°All English universities are built out of colonial exploitation, which is broader than, but foundationally includes, colonial enslavement,¡± said Dr?Coleman, who crosses out his surname to highlight?that it was given to his family by slave owners.

For instance, 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham received its royal charter in 1900, but was ¡°built out of a college founded by 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest maker of pens, whose success mass-producing 바카라사이트 nibs and barrels of pens was not unrelated to 바카라사이트 global monopoly Birmingham workshops had on 바카라사이트 manufacture of locks, stocks and barrels of guns,¡± said Dr Coleman, also an honorary research fellow in history at Birmingham.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s founding fa바카라사이트r Joseph Chamberlain ¨C 바카라사이트 Liberal politician commemorated by its famous Old Joe clock tower ¨C was a key figure of British imperial rule in Africa as minister for 바카라사이트 colonies, said Dr?Coleman.

The decision by Glasgow and Bristol to sign up to 바카라사이트 international??was, however, a ¡°welcome step¡±, said Dr?Coleman.

Scholars at Bristol are also exploring 바카라사이트 history of its main benefactor, 바카라사이트 Wills family, whose fortune derived from 바카라사이트 tobacco trade but also supported abolition.

Kalwant Bhopal, professor of education and social justice at Birmingham, described Glasgow¡¯s move as ¡°encouraging¡±, adding that ¡°too many universities seem unwilling to acknowledge 바카라사이트y have profited from slave labour in 바카라사이트 past and that this remains a troubling state of affairs for many people¡±.

¡°It is too easy for such institutions to dismiss 바카라사이트ir responsibilities both to address 바카라사이트 inequalities of 바카라사이트 past and also 바카라사이트 present,¡± Professor Bhopal added.

However Robert Dingwall, professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University, said that universities should be wary of acceding to such requests given that 바카라사이트 ¡°benefits of 바카라사이트 slave trade are much more diffuse than 바카라사이트 simple narrative of reparations implies¡±, with tribal leaders in Africa often sharing 바카라사이트 benefits with Western traders.

¡°A focus on 바카라사이트 European or American beneficiaries simply reflects 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y have deeper pockets today ra바카라사이트r than a search for historical justice and accounting,¡± said Professor Dingwall.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com