[UPDATE; Adapted from the Bristol Evening Post Tuesday May 5th 1998]
On the trail of a city's shame
Bristol built much of it's wealth on the slave trade, but it is a part of its past which has been largely ignored. As we look into the new millennium the temptation is to forget the suffering of the slaves who brought the city much of it's wealth. Now a new trail aims to educate people about the shameful chapter in the history of the city. A map plotting all the sites connected to slavery has been published in an official guide, availiable from all museums and tourist information offices in Bristol.
   Organisers of the trail believe it will help bring the truth about slavery to the eyes of Bristol people.
   Christine Jackson, one of the main driving forces behind the trail, and chairman of the Bristol Slave Trade Action Group, said:"It was time to address the slave trade issue. It is an uncomfortable subject and the easiest thing to do was sweep it under the carpet. The slave trade had to be acknowledged and something had to be done. There was a lot of tension in the black community because Bristol's history was not being recognised. We have plotted this trail to show sites which were connected to slavery. We are not blaming people and we're not apologising. It is just a way of dealing with the past. A lot of historical research was done and this is how we think it was."
   She added that the TV series had helped to bring the issue to light, although many of the fact as portrayed in the programme are inaccurate. Few slaves ever came to Bristol in the 17th century - the city dealt with produce from the 'triangle' trade between Britain, Africa and the Caribbean. Ships coming to Bristol would have been stocked with produce like sugar, cocoa, coffee and cotton.

   Councillor Ray Sefia, a black leader in the community, says the trail is an important recognition for the black community.
   He said;"It is now acknowledged publicly that black slaves from Africa contributed to the wealth of Bristol. Although it was an inhuman trade, nevertheless it involved the ancestors of African people who helped build this city to what it is today. The trail will have massive implications for tourism in this city. It shows there is still a spin-off from the slave trade today. It is ironic we continue to see the contributions made to this present day."